Kassab Harfoushi.
Women with irritable bowel syndrome according to Rome II criteria in Jordan.
Pak J Med Sci Jan ;24(1):136-41.

Objectives: To characterize the possible risk factors, clinical features and outcome for women referred with abdominal pain and who subsequently underwent investigations including colonoscopy and were normal. Methodology: Analysis of the records of 600 women with abdominal pain referred to G.I clinics in three hospitals related to the Royal Medical Services in Jordan between January 2001 and April 2006 who subsequently underwent variable gastrointestinal investigations. Subjects were divided according to results as women with underlying cause for their abdominal pain and women with normal investigations and considered as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using Rome II criteria. Results: Four hundred twenty two (70%) women had normal investigations and 178 (30%) had underlying cause. Social restrictions (family or cultural limitations) were the only possible risk factors more frequently encountered in women with irritable bowel syndrome group (P<0.05). Abnormal stool form or passage was the most common associated symptoms. Two hundred thirty two(55%) patients with IBS continued to visit the clinic because of abdominal pain, 122 (53%) patients continued to take medications and 37 (16%) patients were subsequently admitted to hospital because of severe abdominal pain of whom 4 (1.6%) were found to have new underlying cause. Conclusions: In women referred with abdominal pain, a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome was common in Jordan. A hidden pathology such as celiac disease, microscopic colitis or Crohns disease, although rare may still be found in patients labeled as irritable bowel syndrome and search for these and other possible diagnoses is to be considered when appropriate.

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