Irritable bowel syndrome: Iraqi pattern

ABSTRACT

This is retrospective study on 310 patients with the Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a developing country. Those patients constituted 26.1% of Gastro-intestinal disease patients. 63.9% of patients were 21-40 years old 68.1% were males and 31.9% were females abdominal pain constipation flatulence and mucus discharge were the commonest symptom-complex. As to the clinical types of irritable Bowel Syndrome 53.9% were of the constibation type 14.9% of the diarrheal type and 31.6% of the constibation/ diarrhea type. The mean duration of symptoms was 4.7 years and 83.6% of patients admitted to a direct relation between their symptoms and stress. 94.1% of those who accepted to undergo investigations had either a normal barium enema or suggestive radiological features of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 5.9% of barium enemas showed diverticulae; all such patients were above 40 years of age, and had a long history of the condition.Analysis of these results with comparison to other series, and a review of the literature is made