title: Gastrointestinal symptoms in myotonic dystrophy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrointestinal complaints may be the initial symptom in myotonic dystrophy (MD). However, the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms has never been prospectively evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with MD were interviewed with regard to their GI symptoms with a standardized questionnaire. A group of healthy subjects matched for age and sex served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most prevalent symptoms were abdominal pain (55%), dysphagia (45%), emesis (35%), chronic or episodic diarrhoea (33%), coughing while eating (33%), and anal incontinence (30%). Twenty-five per cent of the patients considered their GI problems to be the most disabling consequence of the disease, and 28% had GI problems that started before the diagnosis of MD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GI symptoms are common in patients with MD, may be the initial symptoms, and are often considered to be the most disabling consequence of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medicine, Central Hospital, Boden, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rönnblom
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Danielsson
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003371:Cough; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009223:Myotonic Dystrophy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology