Comorbidity in gynecology: focus on premenstrual syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract

According to various sources, from 50 to 80% of women of reproductive age note certain premenstrual symptoms. According to the results of a recent epidemiological study, the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in the Russian Federation is 95%. The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is 15–20%, while 2/3 of people experiencing IBS symptoms do not go to the doctor ("iceberg phenomenon"). As part of clinical practice, we noted that quite often in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, primarily with IBS, a certain worsening of clinical symp-toms coincided in time with the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. We reviewed the literature in information databases regarding the possible relationship between functional gastrointestinal disorders and PMS. The similarity of the etiology and pathogenesis of IBS and PMS was noted. The presence of a possible comorbidity of IBS and PMS is evidenced by the results of a number of studies and reviews devoted to the study of this relationship, which determines the need for cooperation between gynecologists and gastroenterologists/internists in the management of women with PMS and IBS, and also determines the feasibility of additional studies of the relationship between these two disorders.

Keywords

• premenstrual syndrome
• premenstrual tension syndrome
• functional gastrointestinal disorders
• irritable bowel syndrome
• etiology
• pathogenesis
• comorbidity