Association between vasomotor rhinitis and irritable bowel syndrome

BACKGROUND: Vasomotor rhinitis (VMR) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two of the most widespread pathologies in industrialized countries, and they have a substantial impact on health-related quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between VMR and IBS to provide evidence to classify VMR and IBS as a sole disorder. METHODS: The study included 150 patients from San Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila: 50 with VMR, 50 with IBS, and 50 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: With regard to a probable link between VMR and IBS, 62 patients of the whole population, 150 patients (41.3%) were affected by both VMR and IBS, 33 subjects (22%) were not affected by VMR or IBS, 25 patients (16.67%) only had VMR, and 30 patients (20%) only had IBS. When considering the 87 subjects affected by VMR, 62 of them also had IBS (71.26%). In turn, when considering all 92 subjects with IBS, 62 (67.39%) had VMR. We found a significant association among IBS and nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and turbinates, and among VMR and a change in stool consistency and abdominal pain. Among the patients affected by nonallergic rhinitis (NAR), we found a prevalence of NAR with eosinophils (31%) compared with the other cytologic types. CONCLUSION: This study expanded the knowledge of the link between VMR and IBS, also the correlation between typical VMR symptoms and IBS, and about the correlation between typical IBS symptoms and VMR. For future implications, the diagnosis of NAR indicated the need to check for the presence of IBS, by using the Rome III criteria, and a diagnosis of IBS indicated the need to check for the presence of VMR. More studies are needed to find the pathogenetic mechanisms to explain the clinical correlation between VMR and IBS as seen in the present study.