Chapter 15: Small and Large Intestines Flashcards
Describe what herniation is.
Herniation occurs when the intestine pushes through the abdominal wall at the site of previous abdominal surgery (for example). In general this happens when there’s a weakness or defect in the wall of the peritonel cavity.
Describe what adhesions are.
Loops of the intestine are attached to eachother.
Describe what volvulus is.
It means that the intestine has rotated so that blood supply is limited.
Describe what intussusception is.
It occurs when a segment of the intestine, constricted by a wave of peristalsis, telescopes into the immediately distal segment. In children younger than 2 years this is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction.
What is Hirschsprung Disease?
It is a congenital defect in colonic innervation.
How do patients (infants) present the Hirschsprung Disease?
As neonates, they fail to pass meconium followed by obstructive constipation.
What gene is mutated in familial Hirschsprung Disease?
Mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase RET
Fill in: Hirschsprung disease always affects the …, but the length of the additional involved segments varies
rectum (and sigmoid colon)
Just read
Ischemic Bowel Disease: Ischemic damage to the bowel can range from mucosal infarction, extending no deeper than the muscularis mucosa; to mural infarction of mucosa and submucosa; to transmural infarction involving all three layers of the wall.
What factors determine the severity of ischemic bowel disease?
Severity of vascular compromise, time frame during which it develops and vessels affected.
Intestinal responses to ischemia occur in two phases. What is the first phase?
The initial hypoxic injury occurs at the onset of vascular compromise and although some damage occurs, intestinal epithelial cells are relatively resistant to transient hypoxia.
Intestinal responses to ischemia occur in two phases. What is the second phase?
The second phase is reperfusion injury which is initiated by restoration of the blood supply and associated with the greatest damage. Reperfusion injury involves free radical production, neutrophil infiltration and inflammatory mediators.
What are watershed zones?
Intestinal segments at the end of their respective arterial supplies that are particularly susceptible to ischemia.
What is the influence of the patterns of intestinal microvessels on ischemic injury?
Intestinal capillaries run alongside the glands, from crypt to surface, before making a hairpin turn at the surface to empty into the postcapillary venules. This configuration leaves the surface epithelium particularly vulnerable to ischemic injury.
What can be seen in this picture?
Ischemia, you can see partially detached villous epithelium in acute jejunal ischemia. Note the hyperchromatic nuclei of proliferating crypt cells.
What are hemorrhoids?
Dilated (peri)anal collateral vessels that connect the portal and caval venous systems to relieve elevated venous pressure within the hemorrhoid plexus
What are external and internal hemorrhoids?
External hemorrhoids are collateral vessels within the inferior hemorrhoidal plexus which are located below the anorectal line. Internal hemorrhoids are a result of dilation of the superior hemorrhoidal plexus within the distal rectum.
On histologic examination, what are characteristics of hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are thin-walled, dilated submucosal vessels beneath anal or rectal mucosa.
What is diarrhea?
An increase in stool mass, frequency, or fluidity, typically to amounts greater than 200 grams per day.
What four categories of diarrhea are there?
Secretory, osmotic, malabsorptive and exudative diarrhea.
What are characterisations secretory diarrhea?
Isotonic stool and persists during fasting.
What is osmotic diarrhea?
Luminal solutes are unabsorbed and create osmotic forces that cause (osmotic) diarrhea. (Condition abates with fasting)
Wht is malabsorptive diarrhea?
Diarrhea caused by inadequate nutrient absorption. (This diarrhea is relieved by fasting.)
What is exudative diarrhea?
Diarrhea due to inflammatory disease and is characterized by purulent, bloody stools that continue during fasting.
What is a hallmark of malabsorptive diarrhea?
Steattorrhea
Malabsorption results from disturbance in at least one of the four phases of nutrient absorption. Which phases are these?
- Intraluminal digestion (of proteins, carbohydrates and fat).
- Terminal digestion (in brush border of small-intestinal mucosa).
- Transepithelial transport (transport and process within small-intestinal epithelium).
- Lymphatic transport of absorbed lipids.
What is celiac disease?
An intestinal immune reaction to gluten.
Explain shortly how celiac disease can occur.
When gluten is present in the intestines, it can usually be digested by luminal and brush border enzymes. When a certain enzyme (gliadin) is deamidated (by transglutaminase) it is able to interact with HLA molecules. This produces an immune reaction where lymphocytes and antibodies are produced against certain enzymes (like gliadin and transglutaminase).
Which parts of the intestines are exposed to the highest concentration of gluten?
Second portion duodenum or proximal jejunum.
What are characteristics of the histopathology of celiac disease?
Increased numbers of T lymphocytes with intraeptihelial lymphocytosis, crypt hyperplasia and villous atrophy.
What are classic and non-classic symtoms of celiac disease (don’t learn this by heart)?
Classic symptoms present at a young age and are irritability, abdominal distention, anorexia, diarrhea, failure to thrive, weight loss or muscle wasting. Nonclassic symptoms present at older age and present with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloating or constipation.
What two cancers are common in celiac disease?
Enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma and small-intestinal adenocarcinoma.
What does the term environmental enteric dysfunction mean?
It refers to a syndrome of stunted growth and impaired intestinal function that is common in developing countries.
What disorder can cause osmotic diarrhea?
Lactase deficiency
What is the cause of congenital lactase deficiency? What is the cause of acquired lactase deficiency?
The cause of congenital lactase deficiency is a mutation in the lactase gene. The cause of acquired lactase deficiency is downregulated lactase gene expression.
What is abetalipoproteinemia?
A(n autosomal recessive disease) characterized by an inability to secrete triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.
What is microscopic colitis?
Microscopic colitis encompasses two entities, collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. Both of these idiopathic diseases manifest with chronic, nonbloody, watery diarrhea without weight loss.
Colonic diverticula tend to develop under conditions of ….
elevated intraluminal pressure in the sigmoid colon.