Skin and Gut: Psoriasis and irritable bowel syndrome. Is there an association?

Abstract

Aim: The frequent occurrence of psoriasis with gastrointestinal system diseases indicates that psoriasis may also be associatedwith IBS. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of irritable bowel syndrome in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.Material and Methods: Study included 111 patients with psoriasis, and 214 healthy volunteers. The presence of IBS in the psoriasisand control groups was evaluated according to the Rome III diagnostic criteria (Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least 3days/month in the last 3 months associated with two or more of the following: Improvement with defecation, onset associated witha change in frequency of stool, onset associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool). The participants were also askedabout the presence of findings supporting the diagnosis of IBS. The participants were asked about the frequency of defecation, andthe stool type was evaluated according to the Bristol stool form scaleResults: 41 (36.9%) patients in the psoriasis group and 27 (12.6%) controls were detected to have IBS( p< 0.001). Passage of mucus,abdominal distension, and straining were found more frequently in the psoriasis group than in the control group (p = 0.023, 0.001,and 0.001, respectively). The mean defecation frequency per week was significantly higher in the psoriasis group than in the controlgroup (p = 0.000). The mean value for the Bristol stool scale was 4.12 ± 1.13 for the psoriasis group and 3.72 ± 1.16 for the controlgroup (p = 0.003).Conclusion: The increased frequency of IBS and the findings supporting the diagnosis of IBS in these patients suggest that theyhave a tendency to develop IBS. The indication of a higher frequency of IBS in patients with psoriatic arthritis is another importantoutcome of the present study