Background: Relationships between pain threshold during rectal distension and both symptoms intensity and alteration in quality of life (QoL) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients have been poorly evaluated.
Aim: To evaluate relationships between rectal sensitivity, IBS symptom intensity and QoL in a multicentre prospective study.
Methods: Rectal threshold for moderate pain was measured during rectal distension in IBS patients (Rome II), while IBS symptoms intensity was assessed by a validated questionnaire and QoL by the Functional Digestive Disorder Quality of Life questionnaire.
Results: Sixty-eight patients (44.2 +/- 12.7 years, 48 women) were included. The mean rectal distending volume for moderate pain was 127 +/- 35 mL while 45 patients (66%) had rectal hypersensitivity (pain threshold <140 mL). Rectal threshold was not significantly related either to overall IBS intensity score (r = -0.66, P = 0.62) or to its different components, or to FDDQL score (r = 0.30, P = 0.14). Among FDDQL domains, only anxiety (r = 0.30, P = 0.01) and coping (r = 0.31, P = 0.009) were significantly related with pain threshold.
Conclusions: In this study, two-thirds of IBS patients exhibited rectal hypersensitivity. No significant correlation was found between rectal threshold and either symptom intensity or alteration in QoL.