Evaluation of Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosed by Clinical Rome Criteria

Abstract

Sixty four patients who met the clinical Rome criteria for Irritable Bowel Syndrome were
prospectively evaluated by hematological, biochemical, endoscopic and sonographic methods.
Complete blood count, sedimentation rate (ESR), thyroid profile, urinalysis, chest skiagram were
found normal or yielded no useful information. Stool examination revealed 6 (9.4%) positive for
ova/cyst of parasites and 7(10.9%) showed bacterial growth on culture. Structural evaluation
(double contrast x-ray of colon, flexible sigmoidoscopy, endoscopy of upper Gl tract abdominal
sonography) revealed abnormalities including: polyp (1), colitis (2), peptic ulcer (7), gall stone
(2). So hematological, biochemical and structural evaluation should not be routinely done in all
patients diagnosed by Rome criteria unless sinister symptoms of organic diseases are present.

doi: 10.3329/taj.v16i2.3884

TAJ December 2003; Vol.16(2): 62-64