functional colonic disease

Functional colonic disease, also referred to as functional bowel disorder or functional colonic disorders, refers to a group of chronic or recurrent colonic disorders without an identifiable structural or biochemical explanation that could explain symptoms [10]. This condition is characterized by chronic abdominal complaints without a clear cause, and it does not elevate the risk of bodily disease. Individuals with functional colonic disease have a normal life expectancy.

The definition and classification of functional bowel disorders are well-established in medical literature. Functional colonic disease is one of several types of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that may occur as a result of the digestive tract not operating properly [6]. Other functional GI disorders include irritable bowel syndrome, functional bloating, functional constipation, and functional diarrhea.

Functional colonic disease does not involve any structural or biochemical abnormalities in the colon. It is often diagnosed after ruling out other potential causes of abdominal symptoms, such as gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease [3]. The diagnosis of functional colonic disease requires characteristic symptoms during the last 3 months and onset ≥6 months ago.

It's worth noting that functional colonic disease is a symptom-based condition, meaning that it is diagnosed based on the presence of specific symptoms rather than any underlying structural or biochemical abnormalities. A healthcare provider may still want to run some standard diagnostic tests to rule out other diseases or to look for structural problems that are resulting in symptoms [12].

The differential diagnosis