Chapter 17: SI and Colon Flashcards
What are signs of obstruction of the SI?
- Abdominal distension
- Vomitting
- Pain
- Constipation
- Tympanic
MCC of Small Bowel Obstruction
- Bulges (Hernias)
- Adhesions
- Intussception
- Volvulus
MCC SBO in the world
Hernias
MCC SBO in the USA
Adhesions
What is a hernia?
Weakness/defect in abdominal wall that allows a serosa lined pouch of peritoneum to protude (hernia sac) & can trap bowel segments externally.
Acquired hernias most typically occur ________ into which sites?
- Anteriorly
- Femoral and Inguinal canals
- Umbilicus
- Surgical scars
How do hernias cause obstruction?
External herniation (visceral protrusion)
Which type of hernia is most often associated with obstruction and why?
-
Inguinal hernias
- They have narrow orrifices and large sacs
-
Inguinal hernias
What is the sequalae of hernias?
- Incarceration: venous stasis + edema increase size of hernia loop => becomes permanent entrapment
- Strangulation: squeeze arteries and veins
- Infarction
What is an adhesion?
- Local inflammation that heals (fibrosis) and forms bands of scar tissue in peritoneal cavity, most often after surgery
*Also in trauma, infection, endometriosis
Adhesions can lead to the formation of ___________.
Internal hernias
- (Viscera can slide through fibrous bridges created by scar tissue/fibrous bridges => internal hernia)
- In women, adhesions can cause?
- Treatment of adhesions?
- Infertility bc ovum cannot be transported
- Surgery (lysis of adhesions; can lead to more adhesions)
What is a volvulus and where is it most common?
- Twisting of the bowel around mesentary, causing obstruction and infarction
- Sigmoid colon > cecum
Volvulus can lead to ___________
Toxic megacolon
What is the classic patient for volvulus?
Older patient (>70s)***and if in children, can be due to Meckels
- What is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in children < 2 years old?
Intuscception (spontaneous or viral infection; rotavirus)
What is intussception?
Where is it most common?
- Proximal Intestinal segment gets trapped by a leading edge (lesion), and “telescopes” (with the mesentary) into the immediately distal segment due to peristalsis.
- MC: ileocecal junction (terminal ileum telescopes into cecum)
If untreated, intusseception can cause (3):
- Obstruction
- Bleeding (mesentary is pulled with it = compresses vessels ) => current jelly stool
- Infarction
Although typically idiopathic, some cases of intussusception have been associated with what?
Children: viral infections (rotavirus vaccine)
Adults (rare): intraluminal mass or tumor
What is the leading point seen in Intussception caused by a viral infection, like rotavirus?
- Reactive hyperplasia of Peyers patches and lymphoid tissue, causing them to trap the intestines
___________ is used diagnostically and therapeutically for intussusception in infants and young children?
Contrast enemas
What occurs when there is blood loss to the intestines?
- Slow and progressive blood loss = collateral blood supply compensates
- Abrupt blood loss= infarction of several meters
What symptoms are seen in ischemic bowel disease?
Ischemic Bowel Disease, typically occurs with a CV defect.
- 1. Abdominal pain
- 2. Hemtochezia
- 3. Decreased bowel sounds
___________ are at increased risk for ischemic bowel disease (2):
Watershed zones between major vessels (2)
- Splenic flexure via the marginal artery of dremmond (connects superior and inferior mesenteric a.)
-
Rectosigmoid colon
- IMA, pudendal, and iliac arteries end
What damage do we see in ischemic bowel disease and what part of the intestines is damaged?
Ranges from mucosal infarcation => transmural infarction of the epithelial cells at the top of the villus (bc at end of capillary), NOT the crypt epithelial cells (bc at end of capillary)
Causes of transmural infarctions due to ischemic bowel disease?
- A-fib, AAA, atherosclerosis, vascultiis =>
* Thrombosis/embolism of SMA
* thrombosis of mesenteric vein
- A-fib, AAA, atherosclerosis, vascultiis =>
Causes of mucosal infarctions due to ischemic bowel disease?
Hypotension
How does the route of intestinal capillaries running along [glands from crypt => surface epithelium] play a role in the pattern of atrophy and necrosis seen with ischemic intestinal disease?
- Surface epithelium is particularly vulnerable
- Morphological signature =
- Surface epithelium at the top of villus atrophies/necrosis => sloughs off
- Crypts are NL or hyperproliferative
In ischemic bowel disease, what does mucosal infarction look like?
- Patchy mucosal hemorrhage and ulceration with NL serosa
- Bowel wall: [thick with edema in mucosa].
What are the gross morphological characteristics of ischemic bowel disease especially with transmural infarction?
How does it look after initial insult and then later on?
- Large portions of the bowel are affected with a sharp line between infarcted and healthy tissue.
- Initially: congested and dusky to purple-red
- Later –> bowel wall becomes thick and rubbery d/t edema
- After 1-4 days, coagulative necrosis of muscularis propria => perforation.
In chronic ischemic bowel disease, what morphology do we see of the intestines?
Fibrous scarring of lamina propria
In both acute and chronic ischemic bowel disease, what happens when a bacterial super-infection occurs?
Pseudomembrane forms, like in C-diff
Ischemic bowel disease is most common in who?
Caused by what and will they die?
- 70s
- Caused:
- Vasoconstrictor use like cocaine
- Epithelial damage from CMV/E-Coli (O157:H7)
- Trauma
- Unlikely to be fatal
Acute colonic ischemia typically presents clinically how?
If severe; ____
- Sudden onset of cramping
- LLQ pain
- Need to poop
- Hematochezia
If severe: shock and vascular collapse
Mortality from acute colonic ischemia is doubled in patients with what type of presentation?
Why?
Right-sided colonic disease
- Since right side of colon is supplied by SMA, which also supplies much of the small intestine
Other than right-sided involvment in acute colonic ischemia what are other poor prognostic indicators?
- COPD
- If sx and signs last longer than 2 weeks
When is surgery indicated for ischemic bowel disease?
- Absent bowel sounds (paralytic ileus)
- Guarding/rebound develops
Which virus may cause ischemic GI disease due to viral tropism for endothelial cells?
CMV
Intermittent blood diarrhea + intestinal obstruction are most often seen in what type of GI infarction?
Mucosal and mural infarctions
Beyond clinical hx, the presence of what may provide an important clue to the etiology of radiation enterocolitis?
Presence of highly atypical “radiation fibroblasts” in stroma
Ischemic bowel disease can also be due to?
- CMV
- Radiation enterocolitis
- Necrotizing entercolitis
Sx’s of acute radiation enterocolitis?
Chronic?
- Anorexia
- Abdominal cramps
- Malasoprtive diarrhea
If chronic, more indolent and can present as inflammatory enterococolitis
What is the most commonly acquired GI emergency in neonates?
Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)
Classic patient in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
Premature/LBW baby (occurs when oral feeding begins) in the NICU with abdominal distension and N/V;
What is necrotizing entercolitis?
Intestinal transmural necrosis, causing obstruction, usually in the terminal ileum or colon; can perforate
- What is Aangiodysplasia?
- Where does it most commonly occur?
- Who is it most common in?
- Symptoms?
- Malformed, tortuous and dilated BV in the mucosa and submucosa of the cecum or ascending colon that occurs stress to GI wall => compression and obstruction of submucosal veins
- MC in older pts
- Hematochezia (20% of lower GIB)
- Malabsorption is defective absorption of nutrients due to an intestinal process, usually presenting as _________.
- Hallmark of malabsorption = ___________.
-
Chronic diarrhea
- Other: WL/anorexia, abdominal istenstion, gurgling (borborygmi)
- Steatorrhea
Malabsorption is most commonly due to: (4)
- Pancreatic insuffiency
- Celiacs
- Crohns
- Intestinal GVHD after hematopoietic stem cell transplant
- Malabsorption results from disturbances in at least 1 of the 4 processes of nutrient absorption (4):
- Interruption of Intraluminal digestion: Emulsification + break down of nutrients into absorbable forms
- Terminal digestion: Hydrolysis of carbs and proteins in enterocyte brush border
- Transepithelial transport: moving across small intestinal epithelium
- Lymphatic transport of absorbed lipids
Which 4 diseases are associated with a defect in intraluminal digestion?
- 1) Chronic pancreatitis
- 2) Cystic Fibrosis
- 3) Primary bile acid malabsorption
- 4) IBD
What are consqeuences of malabsorption?
- Anemia
- Mucositis
- Vitamin deficiences/ electrolyte (Ca/Mg)
- Bleeding
- Osteopenia and tetany
Describe how to categorize diarrhea
When presented a case of diarrhea, important to differentiate the type:
-
1. Steatorrhea
- Malabsorptive diarrhea due to problem with nutrient aborption
- Greasy, foul smelling, float
-
2. Inflammatory/exudative diarrhea (+ RBC/WBC)
- Bloody, purulent diarrhea due to inflammatory disease.
-
3. Watery diarrhea (two types)
- Secretory diarrhea: watery diarrhea (isotonic stool) that persists when fasting. Ex. Cholera
- Osmotic diarrhea: watery diarrhea often seen in lactose intolerance: Unabsoprbed solutes pull water (osmotic forces).
- More than 50mOsm concentrated than plasma.
Describe how the following diarrheas are affected by fasting:
- 1. Malabsorptive diarrhea
- 2. Exudative diarrhea
- 3. Secretory diarrhea
- 4. Osmotic diarrhea
- 1. Malabsorptive diarrhea: relieved by fasting
- 2. Exudative diarrhea: persists
- 3. Secretory diarrhea: persits
- 4. Osmotic diarrhea: relieved
- What is the disease that only has a problem with terminal digestion?
- Disaccharidase deficiency
- What is the only disease that only has a problem with lymphatic transport?
- Whipple disease
- What is the only disease that only has a problem with transepithelial transport?
- Abetalipoproteinemia
Painful, bloody, small-volume diarrhea is known as?
Dysentery
How does cystic fibrosis cause malabsoprtion?
What type of diarrhea does it cause?
- Loss of CFTR =>
- Defective HCO3-, Na+ and H20 secretion =>
- Defective luminal hydration =>
- Causes intestinal and pancreatic intraductal concentrations =>
- Pancreatic duct obstruction, low grade chronic autodigestion of the pancrease and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
- Malapsorptive diarrhea.
How would we treat malabsorption in a patient with CF?
Oral enzymes
What is Celiacs Disease?
Where in the GI is damage most often seen?
- AI reaction (Type 4 HS) the causes destruction of small intestinal villi when exposed to gluten (bread)
- 2nd part of duodenum and jejunum
The pathogenic component of gluten that causes Celiacs disease is ________________.
-
a-gliadin
- In order to be pathogenic, gliadin => must be deaminated by tissue transglutaminase (tTG) => become immunogenic.
Once gluten => a-gliadin, how does it cause damage?
- Gliadn causes epithlial cell to express IL-15 –> activation/proliferation of CD8+ lymphocytes (Type 4 HR), which express NKG2D (receptor for MIC-A)
- Damaged enterocytes express MIC-A and are attacked by CD8+ cells
- Gliadin deposits in damaged epithelium => deaminated by tissue transglutaminase (tTG)
Deamidated gliadin peptides in the damaged epithelium interact with what on APC’s?
Leads to?
- Interact w/ HLA-DQ2 or DQ-8 on APC’s via MHC Class 2
- Stimulates Helper CD4+ T cells to produce cytokines => damage tissue
Celiacs Disease is associated with which genetic markers?
HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8
Celiacs disease is a _______ hypersensitivity reaction.
Type 4: T-cell mediated tissue damage, but Ab are present
3 Key features on histology in a patient with Celiacs Disease?
- Which cells are seen in increased numbers?
In duodenum, we will see
- Flattening/atropgy of villus; loss of mucosal and brush border
- Crypt hyperplasia
- Intraepithelial CD8+ lymphocytes (in the lamina propria of villus)
Increased # of plasma cells, eosinophils, and mast cells
What is the clinical presentation of a patient with Celiacs Disease?
- Abdominal distension, bloating, diarrhea (steatorrhea), anemia
* *Failure to thrive if children
- Abdominal distension, bloating, diarrhea (steatorrhea), anemia
- Dermatitis herpetiformis: blistering skin lesion due to deposition of IgA Ab at the tips of the dermal papilla; goes away with gluten free diet.
Sensitive marker for Celiac Disease, even in the w/o of villous atrophy and epithelial damage?
What combo is most specific for diagnosis?
- intraepithelial CD8+ lymphocytes, particularly within villus
- histology + serology
- Serology: Ab to tTG*** or anti-endomysial (EMA)
Ages & sex Celiac Disease most commonly present?
- 30-60
- F: due to menstrual bleeding impairing abosprtion
What laborartory findings do we see in Celiacs Disease?
-
Without IgA defiency
- IgA Ab to ttG, endomysium or gliadin
-
If IgA defiency, (which is often increaed in patients with Celiacs disease)
- IgG Ab
Which characteristic rash is seen in some patients with Celiac Disease?
Cause?
- Dermatitis Herpetiformis –> itchy, blistering skin lesion formed when anti-gluten Ab that cross-react with BM proteins.
What are the 2 most sensitive serologic tests for Celiac disease?
If - => ?
If + =>?
- IgA anti-tTG Abs***
- IgA anti-endomysial Abs
If IgA deficient by sx, check IgG levels to tTG and EMA
If +, do a biopsy to confirm.
Which malignancies are most common in patients w/ Celiacs Disease?
- Enteropathy associated T-cell lymphoma (most common)
- SI adenocarcinoma
When a patient with Celiac disease is following a gluten-free diet but is still experiencing symptoms of refractory sprue weight-loss, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, what differential diagnoses must be considered?
- T cell lymphoma
- SI adenocarcinoma
In pediatric celiac disease (classic onset 6-24 months), MC in M/F?
No gender prefernce
What is tropic spure (environmental enteropathy)?
Histology and affects are similar to Celiacs disease, except? (3)
Damage to the SI villus due to an unknown organism, causing malabsorption.
- Occurs in tropical regions (Carribean); poor sanitation and hygeine
- Occurs after infectious diarrhea and responds to ABX
- Damage is most common in the distal bowel- jejujum and ileum
* which can cause vitB12/folate defiiency
- Damage is most common in the distal bowel- jejujum and ileum
The cause of Tropical Sprue isn’t known, but what are some of the likely involved factors?
- Defective intestinal barrier function
- Chronic exposure to fecal pathogens
- Repeat bouts of diarrhea within the first 2 or 3 years of life
What is the classic case of Tropical Sprue?
- Travel to tropics
- Chronic diarrhea (steatorrhea and watery diarrhea d/t sugar malabsoprtion)
- Malabsoprtion then occurs
Treated with ABX and follate suppliment, however sx may not be treated
What is Autoimmune enteropathy?
X-linked autoimmune disease that causes severe and persistant diarrhea in young children
A particularly severe familial form of Autoimmune Enteropathy is known as?
What is the underlying genetic defect?
- IPEX - immune dysregulation Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropthy, and X-linkage
- FOXP3 mutation => defective CD4+ Treg cells
Autoimmune Enteropathy
- Autoantibodies:
- Histology
- Treatment:
- Autoantibodies: enterocytes/goblet cells and parietal cells/islet cells
- Histology: neutrotrophils and intraepithelial lymphocytes
- Treatment: Immunosupression and HSC transplant
What is lactose intolerance?
- Deficiency in the lactase, a brush-border enzyme that breaks down lactose => glucose and galactose, causing the undigested/unabsorbed lactose to have an osmotic pull in the SI => osmotic diarrhea (watery) that is explosive and frothy.
In patients with lactose intolerance, on biopsy we will see _________.
NOTHING :) because defect is biochemical
Symptoms of lactose (disaccharide) deficiency
- 1. Osmotic diarrhea that is explosive and frothy
- Abdominal distension and flatulence due to bacterial fermentation of lactose.
Lactose (Disaccharide) Deficiency Causes
- Congenital lactase deficiency
- Acquired lactase deficiency
-
Congenital lactase deficiency => AR LOF of lactase gene
- rare
-
Acquired lactase deficiency =>
- ↓ of lactase gene overtime that is more common in Native Americans, AA, Chinese.
- Viral or bacterial infections of GI system that damage muscoa (bc lactase is located in distal tips of villus). May resolve over time
Patients can present with lactose tolerance after which GI diseases?
- Guardia
- Celiacs
- IBD
What is Abetalipoprotenemia?
Rare autosomal recessive disoder in infancy that cause by the inability of lipids to leave epithelial cells => intracellular accumulations.
What is the mutation in abetalipoproteinemia?
AR mutation in MTP (microsomal triglyceride transfer protein), which transfers lipids to APO B in ER => deficiency of lipoproteins with APO B=> cannot make chylomicrons (=> malabsorption) or VDL/LDL => intracellular accumulation of lipids.
What is seen histologically in Abetalipoproteinemia?
Stained how?
- Lipid vacuolization in SI epithelial cells
- Stains with oil red-O, particularly after fatty meal
When is the onset of Abetalipoproteinemia and what are the signs/symptoms?
What is seen serologically
- Presents in infancy
- Failure to thrive, diarrhea, and steatorrhea
- Complete absence of all liproteins with ApoB (serology)
- Cant to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (ADEK)
Failure to absorb essential FA’s in Abetalipoproteinemia leads to deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins as well as lipid membrane defects that can be recognized by the presence of what in peripheral blood smears?
Acanthocytic red cells (Burr cells)
What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
-
Functional bowel disease (no pathological abnormality) that causes
- Chronic relapsing bowel pain (at least 3 days month/ last 3 months)
- Bloating
- Changes in stool frequency and form
IBS is most commonly seen in ______
F 20-40
Causes of IBS
- Psychologic stressors
- Diet
- Abnormal GI motility
- Disrupted brain-gut axis,
- immune activation
- Altered gut microbiome
How do we diagnose IBS?
Clinically, because gross and microscopic evaluation is NL.
- Adominal pain 3 days/month for the last 3 months
- Pain improves after pooping
- Change in stool frequency or form
Patients with _____________ of IBS are less likely to improve; long term sequaelae is _________.
- Longer duration
- Not serious
What has been identified as one cause of diarrhea-predominant IBS?
- Excess bile acid synthesis
- Bile acid malabsorption
Treatment of IBS
- Depends on signs and symptoms: 5HT3 ANT, opiods, anticholinergics or fecal transplant
- What is IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)?
- What is its course?
- Sx
- Group of chronic AI bowel diseases due to inappropriate mucosal immune responses to NL gut flora
- UC and Crohns
- Relapsing, remitting course with flares, where meds are increased
- Both disorders cause recurrent episodes of bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain
IBD is most common in ________ and where and why?
- White F (teens -20s) who are Ashkanazi Jews
- Developed countries, leading to hygeine hypothosis: increasing incidence is due to improved food storage conditions/ decreaed food contamination, and changes in gut microbiome composition => reduced frequency of enteric infection => immune regulation of mucosa does not develop
What is the difference between UC and Crohns, in terms of location and inflammation?
- UC: Continuous inflammation of the mucosa and submucosa (not full thickness, like in Crohns) that ALWAYS begins in the rectum => colon, forming ulcers and LLQ pain. Never involves SI
- Crohns: Segmental transmural granulomatous inflammation that occurs in any part of GI (mouth => anus), most commonly terminal ileum causing RLQ pain.
______ causes RLQ pain.
________ causes LLQ pain.
- Crohns = RLQ
- US = LLQ
How does smoking affect Crohns and UC?
- Improves outcomes in US
- Worsens outcomes in Crohns