Vagus nerve assessment via ultrasonography in irritable bowel syndrome. Are there any changes of dimension in the vagus nerve?

Abstract

Background/Aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder which has a close relationship with the central nervous system (CNS). Vagus nerve (VN) is the major connector between CNS and the enteric nervous system (ENS). This study aimed to investigate the possible changes of the dimension of VN with vagus ultrasonography (VU) in IBS. Materials and Methods: A total of 119 patients consisting of 66 IBS patients appropriated with Rome IV criteria and 53 patients of the control group were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent colonoscopy to rule out organic pathologies, such as polyposis, inflammatory bowel syndromes, diverticulosis, and colon cancer. Right vagus (RV) and left vagus(LV) nerve areas and diameters were calculated with VU. Results: There was no statistical difference in the RV (p=0.445) and LV (p=0.944) diameters between the two groups. In addition, there was no statistical difference in RV (p=0.549) and LV (p=0.874) areas between the IBS and control groups. Conclusion: VU clearly depicted that there are no changes of dimension in VN areas and diameters in IBS. This might show that VN is only a transporter of abnormal neuronal stimulations according to IBS pathophysiology. Keywords: Irritable bowel syndrome, ultrasonography, vagus nerve © Copyright 2020 by The Turkish Society of Gastroenterology