Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common disease with significant morbidity. Noninvasive diagnostic techniques are lacking in IBD. Currently, fecal calprotectin is a sensitive marker of gut inflammation however is not specific to Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) alone. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were shown to have potential in IBD diagnosis.Areas covered: This systematic review aimed to examine the next-generation diagnosis of IBD in adults and children using VOCs. An in-depth literature-based search of current clinical studies of VOCs in the diagnosis of IBD was undertaken. Accuracy of IBD detection varied according to the technologies applied. Breath VOCs studies were pooled giving an overall sensitivity of 85% (95%CI: 79-89%) and specificity of 79% (95%CI 73-84%) whilst pooled fecal VOCs studies revealed a sensitivity of 87% (95%CI 77-93%) and specificity of 91% (95%CI 82-96%). Studies were limited by the variance of techniques applied in VOCs detection and the absence of well-designed longitudinal studies.Expert opinion: VOCs can be consistently and effectively detected in urine, breath, and stool in IBD patients. The sensitivity of breath VOCs in detecting IBD was comparable to feces. However, optimal VOCs detection methodology and biological sampling still need to be standardized..
Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Inflammatory bowel disease; diagnosis; ulcerative colitis; volatile organic compounds.