# Functional Bowel Disorders: A Retrospective Descriptive Study in Dakar, Senegal

## TL;DR

This study in Dakar, Senegal, found that functional bowel disorders commonly affect young adults, with abdominal pain as the main symptom and improvement in nearly half of the cases.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the epidemiology and management of functional bowel disorders in Senegal.

## Key findings

- Functional bowel disorders affected 14.02% of patients, with a mean age of 43.23 years and a female predominance.
- Abdominal pain was the most common symptom, and constipation-predominant IBS was the most frequent subtype.
- Symptomatic treatment with defoaming agents and antispasmodics led to improvement in 46% of patients.

## Abstract

Introduction

Functional bowel disorders (FBDs) are common pathologies worldwide. However, little is known about the subject in our region. Thus, we undertook a cross-sectional study to address the issue in our population.

Methodology

We conducted a retrospective descriptive study from January 2016 to December 2022 using data from 2,831 outpatients seen in the hepatogastroenterology department of Idrissa Pouye General Hospital in Dakar. All cases consistent with an FBD according to the Rome IV criteria were included. We collected and analyzed epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, and evolutionary data.

Results

We included 397 of 2,831 patients (14.02%), with a mean age of 43.23 years and a sex ratio of 0.91. Symptoms were dominated by abdominal pain, which was present in 273 cases (68.8%). The constipation-predominant subtype of irritable bowel syndrome was the most common, found in 273 cases (32.2%). Dyspepsia was the most frequent associated symptom, reported in 102 cases (25.7%). The mean duration of disease at diagnosis was 5.72 years. Anxiety was associated in 11 cases (2.77%), and physical examination findings were normal in 296 cases (74.6%). Additional investigations were performed in 230 patients (57.9%). Treatment was mainly based on antispasmodics, prescribed in 236 cases (59.45%), and defoaming agents, prescribed in 303 cases (76.32%). Clinical evolution was marked by an improvement in symptoms in 183 cases (46%).

Conclusions

In our cohort, FBD mainly affected young adults, with a female predominance. Abdominal pain was the most common manifestation. Treatment was symptomatic, based on defoaming agents and antispasmodics, and a favorable outcome was observed in nearly half of the patients.