title: Irritable bowel syndrome--a safe diagnosis?
abstract: Seventy-seven of 84 surviving patients in whom the irritable bowel syndrome had been diagnosed at least six years previously were reviewed. A different diagnosis was made in only four cases. Forty-four patients remained symptomatic and 29 patients had no further bowel problems. The irritable bowel syndrome is often a chronic, relapsing disorder, and further investigations are not necessary unless symptoms change considerably.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged