A Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Using Rome IV Criteria and Limited Investigations is Durable in Secondary Care

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a positive diagnosis, made using symptom-based criteria and limited, judicious, investigation. However, this may lead to uncertainty on the part of clinicians regarding potential for a missed diagnosis of organic gastrointestinal disease. Few studies have examined durability of a diagnosis of IBS, and none have used the current gold standard to diagnose IBS, the Rome IV criteria.

METHODS

We collected complete symptom data from 373 well-characterized adults meeting Rome IV criteria for IBS referred to a single UK clinic between September 2016 and March 2020. All patients underwent relatively standardized work-up to exclude relevant organic disease before diagnosis. We followed these individuals up to December 2022, assessing rates of rereferral, reinvestigation, and missed organic gastrointestinal disease.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 4.2 years per patient (total follow-up in all patients, 1565 years), 62 (16.6%) patients were rereferred. Of these, 35 (56.5%) were rereferred for IBS and 27 (43.5%) for other gastrointestinal symptoms. Among the 35 rereferred with IBS this was caused by a change in symptoms in only 5 (14.3%). Reinvestigation was undertaken in 21 (60.0%) of 35 rereferred with IBS and 22 (81.5%) of 27 rereferred with other symptoms (P = .12). Only 4 (9.3% of those reinvestigated and 1.1% of the entire cohort) new cases of relevant organic disease, which may have been responsible for IBS symptoms at baseline, were identified (1 case of chronic calcific pancreatitis among those rereferred with IBS and 1 case each of inflammatory bowel disease-unclassified, moderate bile acid diarrhea, and small bowel obstruction among those rereferred with other gastrointestinal symptoms).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite rereferral for gastrointestinal symptoms among 1 in 6 patients overall, with almost 10% rereferred with ongoing IBS symptoms, and substantial reinvestigation rates, missed organic gastrointestinal disease occurred in only 1%. A diagnosis of Rome IV IBS after limited investigation is safe and durable.

Overlap of Rome IV Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Functional Dyspepsia and Effect on Natural History: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study

OBJECTIVES

Disorders of gut-brain interaction, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD), frequently overlap, but the impact of this on the natural history is unknown. We examined this issue in a longitudinal follow-up study conducted in a large cohort of individuals.

METHODS

We collected complete demographic, symptom, mood, and psychological health data from 1374 adults who self-identified as having IBS. We applied the Rome IV criteria to examine what proportion met criteria for IBS and FD, as well as the degree of overlap between them. At 12 months, we collected data regarding IBS symptom severity and impact, consultation behavior, treatments commenced, and psychological health according to degree of overlap between IBS and FD.

RESULTS

Overall, 807 individuals met the Rome IV criteria for IBS at baseline and provided complete data. At study entry, overlap of FD occurred in 446 (55.3%) people who met Rome IV criteria for IBS. At 12 months, 451 (55.9%) individuals were successfully followed up. The proportion of individuals consulting their primary care physician (P = .001) or a gastroenterologist (P < .001) because of their IBS was significantly higher in those with overlap of IBS and FD, and the number of new IBS treatments commenced was significantly higher (P = .007). Those with overlap of IBS and FD reported significantly more severe IBS symptoms (P < .001), continuous abdominal pain, and that their IBS symptoms limited normal daily activities ≥50% of the time. Finally, those with overlap were more likely to report abnormal anxiety and depression scores at 12 months compared with those with IBS alone, and to have higher levels of somatization (P < .001 for all analyses).

CONCLUSIONS

The natural history of people with IBS with overlap FD defined according to Rome IV criteria is more severe than those with IBS alone. This has important implications for future treatment trials in IBS.

Epidemiological, Clinical, and Psychological Characteristics of Individuals with Self-reported Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on the Rome IV vs Rome III Criteria

OBJECTIVES

Few studies have examined the effects of applying the Rome IV criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) vs the previous standard, the Rome III criteria. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of individuals who self-identify as having IBS to examine this issue.

METHODS

We collected complete demographic, symptom, mood, and psychological health data from 1375 adults who self-identified as having IBS, but were not recruited from a referral population. We applied the Rome III and the Rome IV criteria simultaneously to examine what proportion met each of these diagnostic criteria for IBS. We measured the level of agreement between the Rome III and Rome IV criteria, and assessed for presence of an alternative functional bowel disorder in individuals who no longer met diagnostic criteria for IBS with the more restrictive Rome IV criteria. Finally, we compared characteristics of individuals who met only Rome III criteria with those who met Rome IV criteria.

RESULTS

In total, 1080 of 1368 individuals (78.9%) with IBS met the Rome III criteria. In contrast, 811 of 1373 individuals (59.1%) with IBS met the Rome IV criteria. Agreement between the criteria was only moderate (Kappa = 0.50). Among those who no longer had IBS according to the Rome IV criteria, 33 (11.5%) met Rome IV criteria for functional constipation, 118 (41.3%) for functional diarrhea, 68 (23.8%) for functional abdominal bloating or distension, and 67 (23.4%) for an unspecified functional bowel disorder. Individuals with Rome IV-defined IBS had more severe symptoms, and a higher proportion had a mood disorder and evidence of poor psychological health, compared with individuals who only met the Rome III criteria for IBS (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The characteristics of people who believe they have IBS differ between those who meet criteria as defined by Rome IV vs Rome III, including the spectrum of disease severity. Studies are needed to determine how these changes will affect outcomes of clinical trials.