Rectal Visceral Sensitivity in Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome without Psychiatric Comorbidity Compared with Healthy Volunteers

Table 4

Rectal baseline volume (tone) and volume at the distension of 8 mmHg and 24 mmHg in 38 IBS patients without comorbid psychiatric disorders (subdivided into IBS patients with diarrhoea and alternating stool habits), in 11 IBS patients with phobic anxiety and in 9 healthy volunteers. Values are mean ± SD; pressure is reported in mmHg, volume in Ml; the baseline volume was only registered in 34 IBS patients without psychiatric comorbidity and 9 IBS patients with comorbid phobic anxiety. The volume at 8 mmHg distension was only registered in 10 IBS patients without comorbid phobic anxiety. The volume at 24 mmHg distension was only registered in 34 IBS patients without psychiatric comorbidity, 10 IBS patients with comorbid phobic anxiety, and 8 healthy volunteers.

	IBS patients without psychiatric disorders			IBS patients with phobic anxiety	Healthy volunteers
	All	Diarrhoea predominant	Alternating stool habits
Baseline
Pressure	7.5 ± 1.3	7.8 ± 1.7	7.5 ± 0.9	7.4 ± 1.3	7.2 ± 1.2
Volume	79 ± 48^∗	60 ± 34^∗∗	91 ± 56	50 ± 28^∗∗	127 ± 59
8 mmHg distension
Volume	46 ± 40	43 ± 38	48 ± 44	43 ± 32	66 ± 37
24 mmHg distension
Volume	171 ± 59	150±43^∗∗	179 ± 60	171 ± 44	216 ± 58

^∗𝑃<.05from healthy volunteers ^∗∗𝑃<.01 from healthy volunteers.