Biliary and Pancreatic Pathology Flashcards
Where is bile produced and stored?
Produced by the Hepatocytes of the liver, and stored by the Gallbladder
What stimulates the release of bile into the bowel?
Eating stimulates Cholecystokinin release which results in bile release into the bowel
The common bile duct is a duct merging what two structures?
Common hepatic duct
Cystic duct
What two ducts drain into the Ampulla of Vater?
Pancreatic duct
Common bile duct
What are the three functions of bile?
- Fat emulsification and absorption
- Elimination of waste products
- Signalling molecule
Describe the pathway of bilirubin as it becomes sterobillin and urobillin
Unconjugated bilirubin arrives at the liver, where it becomes conjugated.
It passes down the biliary tree into the gut, where it is reabsorbed in the form of urobilinogen where it goes to the kidneys or is returned to the liver (enterohepatic re-circulation) - some of which is secreted in the bowel as stercobilinogen and some of which ends up in the kidneys as urobilin
Pre and Post-Hepatic jaundice tells us the bilirubin is..?
Pre-Hepatic = Unconjugated
Post-Hepatic = Conjugated
State four causes of Pre-Hepatic Jaundice
- Haemolysis
- Resorption from bleed
- Gilbert syndrome
- Ineffective erythropoesis
State four cases of Hepatic (mixed) jaundice
- Liver disease
- Drugs
- Toxins
- Cancer
State four causes of Post-Hepatic jaundice
- Gallstones
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Stricture
- Biliary atresia
What is the role of the Gallbladder?
Concentration and storage of bile
Give 5 causes of gallstone formation
- Chronic haemolysis
- Lithogenic bile
- Inflammation / infection
- Rapid weight reduction
- Stasis
What is the main component found in Gallstones?
Cholesterol
What is a gallbladder empyema?
Pus collection in gallbladder
What is the endocrine
& exocrine function of the Pancreas
Endocrine: Insulin / Glucagon production
Exocrine: Trypsin / Lipase / Amylase production
