Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), a clinically overdiagnosed entity?

Abstract

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a clinical entity recognized since ancient times; it represents the consequences of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine associated with malabsorption. Recently, SIBO as a term has been popularized due to its high prevalence reported in various pathologies since the moment it is indirectly diagnosed with exhaled air tests. In the present article, the results of duodenal/jejunal aspirate culture testing as a reference diagnostic method, as well as the characteristics of the small intestinal microbiota described by culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques in SIBO, and their comparison with exhaled air testing are presented to argue about its overdiagnosis.

Keywords: Breath testing; Disbiosis del intestino delgado; Gut microbiota; Microbiology; Microbiología; Microbiota intestinal; Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth; Small intestinal dysbiosis; Sobrecrecimiento bacteriano del intestino delgado; Test de aire espirado.