Lactose Intolerance and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) in Paediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

In recent years, an increase in the incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease has been observed, with particular emphasis on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the paediatric population, also in the youngest age group. Underlying factors are genetic, environmental (including the microbiome) and immunological. Clinical manifestations are very often uncharacteristic, and the clinical picture is dominated by abdominal pain, weight/growth deficiency and/or diarrhoea. Similar symptoms occur in the course of lactose intolerance and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). On the other hand, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) seem to favour the onset of SIBO and lactose intolerance. Only the diagnosis of these disease entities ensures appropriate therapeutic management. The manuscript analyses the latest literature on the co-occurrence of these disease entities in patients with IBD—especially Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, clinical symptoms, and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.