Additional Investigations Fail to Alter The Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Subjects Fulfilling The Rome Criteria

Abstract

Examination of screening tests in 1452 patients with an established history of IBS revealed an incidence of lactose malabsorption comparable to that in the general U.S. population and a low incidence of thyroid dysfunction, ova and parasite infestation, or colonic pathology. The limited detection rates, added costs, and inconvenience of these tests suggest that their routine use in the diagnostic evaluation of established IBS patients should be scrutinized.