Abstract
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD) are disorders of the digestive system in which symptoms cannot be explained by the presence of structural or tissue abnormalities. The Rome diagnostic criteria categorize the FGIDs and define symptom-based diagnostic criteria for each category. Furthermore, the clinical practice guidelines of FGIDs are useful for treatment. The most important issue is to exclude structural or tissue abnormalities that can be seen on endoscopy, radiography, or from blood tests. However, in a diagnosis, serious diseases may be overlooked by downplaying warning symptoms. Even more recently, new diseases which are borderline or indeterminate have been reported in a diagnosis of FGIDs. Moreover, treatment of cases with a strong psychosocial background is difficult for physicians of internal medicine. Close cooperation between physicians of internal medicine and psychotherapists/psychiatrists at an appropriate time is considered important to complement each other in the medical treatment of FGIDs.
