Original ArticlePrevalence of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Children with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Case-Control Study
Section snippets
Methods
Consecutive children affected by IBS, according to Rome II criteria, were enrolled at the Pediatric Gastroenterology Outpatient Unit of Gemelli Hospital, Catholic University of Rome. Patients with IBS participating in the study were selected among children sent by pediatric primary care practices of Rome and surrounding area affiliated with our center for further evaluation of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (Table I).
Patient symptoms were assessed by a visual analogic scale questionnaire
Results
A total of 43 patients with IBS and 56 healthy control subjects were enrolled; 15 patients (35%) were classified as diarrhea-predominant, 12 (28%) as constipation-predominant, and 16 (37%) as diarrhea-predominant. Eleven of 43 (25%) patients with IBS were classified as having PI-IBS.
Discussion
Several studies of adult patients suggest that SIBO may be a contributing factor in IBS. Both a high prevalence of SIBO in IBS populations and a significant improvement after decontamination therapy were reported.14, 15, 16, 17, 18
This case-control study assessed the prevalence of SIBO in children affected by IBS. We show that children with IBS have a significantly higher prevalence of SIBO, as assessed by LBT, with respect to a consistent control group. In addition, patients with IBS with
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This work was supported by an unrestricted grant provided by Fondazione Ricerca in Medicina. The authors declare no potential conflict of interest.