Biliary tract disease, PBC and PSC Flashcards
What are gallstones?
Small stones, usually formed from cholesterol, that form in the gallbladder.
Give 4 risk factors for gallstones.
The 4 Fs: Fat (overweight) Forty Female Fertile (pregnancy) (PTS)
What is biliary colic?
Biliary colic is when a gallstone is temporarily impacted in the bladder neck and is dislodged back into the gallbladder.
What is acute cholecystitis?
Acute cholecystitis is when a gallstone is stuck in the bladder neck and causes inflammation.
Describe the physiology of bile release from the gallbladder.
When fatty acids reach the duodenum, enteroendocrine cells secrete cholecystokinin.
CCK travels through the blood to the gallbladder, causing it to contract and release bile.
CCK also relaxes the sphincter of Oddi, which is where bile is reduced into the duodenum.
Where does biliary colic pain start and radiate to?
Dull pain in the right upper quadrant and epigastrium
Radiates to the right shoulder.
What makes biliary pain worse and better?
Starts several hours after meal, lasts <6 hours, then the gallstone dislodges back into the gallbladder and the pain goes away. Occurs when lying flat because it is easier for gallstones to get stuck in this position.
Give 3 symptoms of biliary colic.
Nausea, vomiting and sweating.
How is acute cholecystitis differentiated from biliary colic?
There is inflammation so there is fever.
How is biliary colic diagnosed?
Based on recurrent symptoms and confirmed by ultrasound.
Describe the management of biliary colic.
- Pain and symptom management
2. Cholecystectomy (removal of gallbladder)
Give 3 features of acute cholecystitis.
RUQ pain, nausea/vomiting, fever.
lecture
What is Murphy’s sign?
The patient inhales while the examiner hooks their fingers under the liver border. The inspiration causes the gallbladder to descend onto the fingers, causing pain if the gallbladder is inflamed. This is a sign of gallbladder disease.
How is acute cholecystitis diagnosed?
USS abdomen.
LFTs to exclude bile duct/liver pathology.
(PTS)
Describe the management of acute cholecystitis.
IV morphine and fluids
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
(PTS)
What is the pathophysiology of ascending cholangitis?
Infection and inflammation of the biliary tree (bile/gallstone) secondary to impacted stone or stricture in the common bile duct (choledocholithiasis). Bacteria from the intestine ascend up the biliary tree and are not washed away by bile. (As opposed to cholecystitis which is inflammation of gallbladder only).
What organisms are likely to cause ascending cholangitis?
E. Coli, klebsiella, enterococcus.
Give 5 clinical features of ascending cholangitis.
Charcot’s triad: RUQ pain, fever, jaundice
Reynold’s pentad:+ hypotension + confusion
(PTS)