Clinical symptoms often prompt initiation or escalation of medical treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, functional bowel disorders (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome) coexist in 20% of IBD patients and can mimic symptoms of the latter. Clinical symptoms, in fact, do not correlate well with IBD disease activity. Consequently, relying on only clinical symptoms without confirming active disease may commit patients to long-term treatments that have potentially significant adverse effects and resource implications.
Conditions: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), functional bowel disorders (irritable bowel syndrome)
Sources