title: Symptom patterns can distinguish diverticular disease from irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diverticular disease (DD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) share a similar symptom pattern. However, comparative studies are flawed by different age at onset of symptoms. We aimed to verify whether clinical features distinguish DD from IBS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with DD or IBS, matched for age and gender (1/1) were consecutively recruited. Data on demographic parameters, voluptuary habits, inheritance of disease and symptoms were collected. Moreover, the association between pain > 24 h, and clinical parameters were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety patients with DD and 90 patients with IBS (DD: F/M: 46/44; age: 50.9 years; IBS: 46/44; 50.4) were selected from an overall population of 1275 patients. Only nine patients with DD (10%) fulfilled the criteria for IBS diagnosis. Abdominal pain > 24 h was more prevalent in SDD than in patients with IBS (20 vs. 6 patients; P < 0.01). Furthermore, compared with IBS, patients with DD showed more episodes of pain > 24 h requiring medical attention (80% vs. 33%; P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abdominal pain lasting for more than 24 h discriminates patients with DD compared with those with IBS. Identifying this symptom could be an appropriate strategy to define the diagnosis and management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 'Federico II' University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbara
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andreozzi
authors.forename: Gabrio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bassotti
authors.forename: Tino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Casetti
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grassini
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ierardi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maconi
authors.forename: Santino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sarnelli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Savarino
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Usai
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vozzella
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Annibale
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005414:Flatulence / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Abdominal pain; diverticular disease; irritable bowel syndrome