Rectal afferent hypersensitivity and compliance in irritable bowel syndrome: differences between diarrhoea-predominant and constipation-predominant subgroups

Abstract

This study shows that the sensory threshold for the urge to defecate and rectal compliance is significantly lower in D-IBS compared with C-IBS and controls. The consequent inability to tolerate rectal faecal loading may account for the symptoms of the passage of frequent, small-volume stools in D-IBS patients.