ABSTRACT
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a heterogeneous functional disease with a high prevalence and significant impact on quality of life. Traditionally understood as a pure disorder of brain-gut interaction, it is increasingly clear that IBS encompasses diverse pathologies, some of which involve objective alterations of intestinal structure, function, and the microbiome. IBS is subclassified as diarrhea, constipation, or mixed type based on the most prominent stool form. We review the diagnosis and management of the diarrheal type through a pathophysiologic lens, with attention to recent developments that can inform a mechanistically based targeted approach to treatment.
- Copyright © 2020 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
- Michael Kurin, MD⇑
- Digestive Health Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Address:
Michael Kurin, MD, Digestive Health Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Wearn Bldg, Suite 247, Cleveland, OH 44106; michael.kurin{at}uhhospitals.org
- Gregory Cooper, MD
- Digestive Health Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center; Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center; Professor, Department of Medicine, and Professor, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
ABSTRACT
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a heterogeneous functional disease with a high prevalence and significant impact on quality of life. Traditionally understood as a pure disorder of brain-gut interaction, it is increasingly clear that IBS encompasses diverse pathologies, some of which involve objective alterations of intestinal structure, function, and the microbiome. IBS is subclassified as diarrhea, constipation, or mixed type based on the most prominent stool form. We review the diagnosis and management of the diarrheal type through a pathophysiologic lens, with attention to recent developments that can inform a mechanistically based targeted approach to treatment.
- Copyright © 2020 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All Rights Reserved.