Section Editor(s): Wald, Arnold; Modlin, Irvin M.; Floch,
Martin H.
The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) persists as a
major problem in clinical medicine. Patients suffering from the
syndrome frequent the offices of primary care doctors and
gastroenterologists. The visits are repetitive and treatments are
debated.
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In this supplement issue of the Journal, the
classification, clinical findings, pathobiology, clinical
management, and debatable issues are reviewed. One of the main goals
of the workshop and this resultant publication is to help clinicians
in the management of this large group of patients. Consequently we
have reviewed the clinical management in several papers and the use
of all therapeutic modalities, including psychological approaches,
diet therapies and the use of available pharmacologic agents. It
should be noted that in the United States there are few new agents
available, but in other countries many new drugs are available to
use in the treatment of IBS. Of particular interest is the new
research and understanding of visceral hypersensitivity, the enteric
nervous system and serotonin metabolic pathways that specifically
focus on 5HT4 receptors. We hope that this supplement achieves our
goal of bringing the clinician up to date in available therapy and
future modalities of therapy.
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All of the manuscripts were peer reviewed. I am
particularly indebted to Dr. Arnold Wald for his intensive review of
each manuscript and his recommendations to authors for improvements.
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The contents of this supplement represent
manuscripts presented at the workshop colloquium meeting held at
Yale University, September 26, 2001. Dr. Irvin Modlin received an
unrestricted educational grant from Glaxo-Wellcome to hold their
colloquium on IBS at Yale, and I received an unrestricted grant from
Novartis to publish a supplement on the same subject. We combined
our efforts to invite the world's experts who were able to attend on
that date to present their understanding of particular aspects of
the syndrome. The faculty and participants felt the colloquium was a
huge success. After their presentations, there were detailed
discussions of specific case material by participants of the
workshop and members of the Yale faculty.
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This supplement publishes the manuscripts
presented at the meeting, as well as a summation of discussions
written by Drs. Moss and Modlin of the meeting and the discussions.
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