Biliary tract and pancreas pathology

Question 1

What is cholelithiasis?

Answer 1

Gall stones

Question 2

What is the cause of gallstone formation?

Answer 2

• imbalance of the ratio of cholesterol to bile salts in the bile
• excess bilirubin (pigment stones)

Question 3

Accumulation of gallstones in the gall bladder cause…

Answer 3

acute cholecystitits by irritating its wall

Question 4

Gallstones can cause acute pancreatitis by…

Answer 4

obstructing the ampulla of vater, causing backflow into the pancreas

Question 5

Enzyme blood marker of acute pancreatitis?

Answer 5

elevated serum amylase

Question 6

How does damage to pancreatic cells cause inflammation?

Answer 6

Release of pancreatic enzymes (lipases and proteases) causes fat necrosis, tissue destruction and haemorrhage.

Question 7

What are the complications of acute pancreatitis?

Answer 7

death 
shock
pseudocyst formation
abscess formation
hypocalcaemia
hyerpglycaemia

Question 8

Causes of chronic pancreatitis?

Answer 8

alcoholism
gall stones (obstruction of sphincter of Oddi / ampulla of vater)

Question 9

What is the main type of pancreatic cancer?

Answer 9

adenocarcinoma

Question 10

Where do pancreatic adenocarcinomas spread?

Answer 10

• directly to dueodenum, stomach, spleen
• local lymph nodes
• through blood to the liver

Question 11

What are the components of bile?

Answer 11

-miscelles of cholesterol, phospholipids, bile salts and bilirubin

Question 12

What is the function of the gall bladder?

Answer 12

Storage and concentration of bile