HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Williams, R. E. Articles by Steege, J. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Williams, R. E. Articles by Steege, J. F.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Among Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain

Rachel E. Williams, PhD^*, Katherine E. Hartmann, MD, PhD^*, Robert S. Sandler, MD, MPH^*, William C. Miller, MD, MPH^* and John F. Steege, MD

From the *Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health; and Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Address reprint requests to: Rachel E. Williams, PhD, 1200 Willow Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517; e-mail: rachel.williams{at}alumni.unc.edu.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate whether there are unique characteristics associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) within a population that has chronic pelvic pain.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study of new referral patients attending a pelvic pain clinic between 1993 and 2000 (N = 987) evaluated characteristics associated with IBS at entry to the clinic. The characteristics that we evaluated included demographic characteristics, clinical diagnoses, history of abuse, depression, pain, and prior abdominal surgeries.

RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of chronic pelvic pain patients had IBS defined by Rome I criteria. Age 40 years or older (odds ratio [OR] = 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27, 3.11), muscular back pain (OR = 5.37, 95% CI: 0.98, 29.29), Symptom Checklist-90 global index score in top quartile (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.86), depression (OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.24, 3.01), 6 or more pain sites (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.78), and history of adult physical abuse (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.26) were associated with IBS in the final reduced multivariable model.

CONCLUSION: Specific characteristics distinguish women with IBS suggesting that IBS and chronic pelvic pain are not simply manifestations of the same disorder. Our findings could help physicians attempt to effectively treat women with IBS and chronic pelvic pain. Physicians could diagnose and treat IBS in conjunction with treatment for chronic pelvic pain.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R Spiller, Q Aziz, F Creed, A Emmanuel, L Houghton, P Hungin, R Jones, D Kumar, G Rubin, N Trudgill, et al. Guidelines on the irritable bowel syndrome: mechanisms and practical management Gut, December 1, 2007; 56(12): 1770 - 1798. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				IBS Is Common Among Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain Journal Watch (General), September 24, 2004; 2004(924): 2 - 2. [Full Text]