Chapter 18/19: Gallbladder and Pancreas Flashcards
- What is the gallbladder?
- Epithelium?
- Between meals, bile is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder.
- When fat is sensed, CCK is released and causes GB to contract, releasing bile.
- Columnar epithelium
What is the most common congenital anomaly of the gallbladder?
- Inward folded fundus –> Phrygian cap
Is agenesis of ANY part of the GB, bile duct, or biliary atresia lethal?
No.
More than 95% of biliary tract disease is attributable to __________, which most often lodge at what side
- Cholelithiasis (gallstones).
- Infudibulum (Hartmans pound)
Who is more likely to get gallstones (cholelithiasis)?
- Family History
- Fair skin (white)
- Fat (obsese)
- Female
- Forties
- Fertile (d/t estrogen; thus, pregnant or taking oral contraceptives)
What are the 2 types of gallstones and who are they most common in?
-
Cholesterol stones (factors that increase in cholestrol)
- MC: Developed countries due to diet
-
Pigment stones (bilirubin)
- MC: Developing countries due to infections or bleeding (chronic hemolytic syndrome)
Why is estrogen exposure a risk factor for the development of gallstones?
Because of this who is at the most risk?
- Increases expression of: hepatic lipoprotein receptors and hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity —> enhanced cholesterol uptake and biosynthesis
- Females taking OCs and during pregnancy
What infections are comon causes of pigment stones?
- Clinorchis sinensis (Liver fluke)
- Ascaris lumbricoides (intestinal nematode = roundwork parasites)
- E. coli
Rates of cholesteorl gallstones approach 75% in persons of which cultural group?
Native Americans of the Pima, Hopi, and Navajo groups
Cholesterol Stones
- Found where?
- Composed of/color?
- ONLY gallbladder
- 100% cholesterol (pure/rare) => 50% cholesterol
- Pure = yellow, granular, hard and round
- On transection look like a crystalline palisade
- As ↑ calcium carbonate, bilirubin, phosphates = black
- Pure = yellow, granular, hard and round
Pigment Stones
- Color?
- Location
- Black => Brown
-
Black => sterile bile ducts (oxidized polymers of Ca2+ salts of unconjugated bilirubin, salts and mucin); friable, spikey
- Rarely bigger than 1.5 cm; more present
- Brown => infected large bile ducts (same comp + cholesterol); soap-like, greasy and shiny
-
Black => sterile bile ducts (oxidized polymers of Ca2+ salts of unconjugated bilirubin, salts and mucin); friable, spikey
Can Cholesterol stones be seen on XR?
- If made largely of cholesterol = radioluscent (NO)
- If enough calcium carbonate = radiopaque (YES)
Can black and brown pigmented stones be seen on X-ray?
- Majority of black stones are radiopaque = can see on XR (due to calcium salts)
- Brown stones are radiolucent (can’t be seen) due to calcium soaps
The development of pigment stones is associated with disorders that cause an ↑ in what?
List some of these disorders
- Unconjugated bilirubin
- Chronic hemolytic anemias = increases unconj bilirubin
- Severe ileal dysfunction or bypass
- Cirrhosis/liver disease
- Bacterial infection biliary tree
How does the size of the gallstone relate to the likelihood of it causing problems?
- Larger the calculi, the less likely they are to enter the cystic or common ducts to produce obstruction
- Very small stones, or “gravel,” are far more dangerous
What are complications that may arise sometimes with large gallstones?
- May erode directly into an adjacent loop of small bowel, generating an intestinal obstruction
- “Gallstone ileus” or “Bouveret syndrome”
What are symptoms of gallstones?
Main complication that it can lead to?
- Most = asymptomatic.
- Biliary colic (excuciating, constant pain) in the RUQ => radiates to right upper shoulder or work & worse after a fatty meal.
- Acute cholecystitis
Clinical pearl: if an older person has gallstones, what should we suscept?
Cancer; bc rare in this demographic
What is the primary complication of gallstones and the most common reason for emergency cholecystectomy?
Acute calculous cholecystitis
What is acute calculous cholecystitis?
- Inflammation of the GB due to (90%) an obstruction caused by a stone in the cystic duct or neck, due to chemical irritation and inflammation, which causes dilation of GB => increased intraluminal pressure => disrupt blood flow.
- no bacterial infection causes these changes, but can occur later
What is acute acalculous cholecystitis?
- Occurs in severely ill patients due to ischemia d.t cystic artery.
Acute calculous cholecystitis is more common in who?
DM wiith symptomatic gallstones.
Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis most frequently occurs in patients who are hospitalized for unrelated conditions, such as (list 5 common settings)?
- Sepsis w/ hypotension and multisystem organ failure
- Immunosuppression
- Major trauma and burns
- Diabetes mellitus
- Infections
- In the acute cholecystitis, the GB is enlarged and the serosal covering is covered by ________
- When the exudate inside the gallbladder lumen is virtually pure pus, the condition is referred to as?
- In severe cases of acute cholecystitis the GB may be transformed into a green-black necrotic organ w/ small-to-large perforations and this condition is known as?
- Invasion of the GB w/ gas-forming organisms, such as clostridia and coliforms, may cause a condition known as?
- Fibrinopurulent exudate
- Gallbladder empyema
- Gangrenous cholecystitis
- Acute “emphysematous” cholecystitis
How does acute calculous cholecystitis typically present clinically?
Associated sx’s?
- Progressive RUQ or epigastric pain lasting for >6 hours
- Mild fever, anorexia, tachycardia, sweating
- NO jaundice.
- Leukocytosis (L-shift) and Increae in ALP
In patients experiencing symptoms of acute cholecystitis, it is important to rule out what?
MI (bc will have epigastric pain + tachycardia + sweating); so think MI until proven otherise.
Presence of hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice in a patient presenting w/ suspected acute calculous cholecystitis suggests what kind of obstruction?
Obstruction of common bile duct
In 90% of cases Chronic Cholecystitis is associated with?
In 33% of cases which 2 organisms may be culutred from the bile?
- 90% : cholelithiasis (gallstones)
- 33%: E. coli and enterococci
Can be a be a sequel to repeated episodes of mild to severe acute cholecystitis, but in many instances it develops in the apparent absence of antecedent attacks.
In some cases of Chronic Cholecystitis, what is a sign we can see on XR and what does this allude to?
Porcelain GB (dystrophic calcification)=> increase risk for CANCER
Which of the following is the most common
malignancy of the gallbladder?
A. Sarcoma
B. Lymphoma
C. Squamous cell carcinoma
D. Adenocarcinoma
E. Metastasis
D. Adenocarcinoma (bc columnar cells(