Food intolerance and allergy in the irritable bowel syndrome

Food intolerance and allergy in the irritable bowel syndrome

Rev Med Liege. 2005 Sep;60(9):744-9.

Ausloos F, Belaiche J, Louis E.

Service de gastroentérologie, CHU de Liège.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a complex and heterogeneous entity that concerns about 1/4 of adults and would be responsible for 50% of gastro-enterology medical consultations. IBS etiopathogenesis and physiopathology are not yet fully known. Implications of food intolerance and allergy in this syndrome remain controversial. In this review we recall numerous mechanisms of allergy or food intolerance generating IBS, as well as clinical entities mimicking an IBS. We present a series of diagnostic tests and potential treatments. We finally propose a management strategy for these patients.