Chapter 5: Digestive System Part II Flashcards
Pathology of the Digestive System
Anorexia
Lack of appetite
Ascites
Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.
Borborygmus (plural: borborygmi)
Rumbling or gurgling noise produced by the movement of gas, fluid, or both in the GI tract.
Constipation
Difficulty in passing stools.
Diarrhea
Frequent passage of loose, watery stools.
Dysphagia
Difficulty in swallowing.
Eructation
Gas expelled from the stomach through the mouth.
Flatus
Gas expelled through the anus.
Hematochezia
Passage of fresh, bright red blood from the rectum.
Jaundice (icterus) (hyperbilirubinemia)
Yellow-orange coloration of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by high levels of bilirubin in the blood.
Jaundice (Hyperbilirubinemia) Breakdown
- Hemoglobin (is broken down by macrophages into)
- Heme and Globin
- Heme is broken down into bilirubin (excreted by liver in bile) and iron (reused or stored in liver, spleen, or bone marrow)
- Globin is broken into protein.
Melena
Black, tarry stools; feces containing digested blood. (The fecal matter contains digested blood that has been sitting for at least 10-12 hours in the digestive system). (You might have a bleeding disorder in the upper part of your digestive system like in your stomach or in your esophagus when blood mixes with Hydrochloric acid from the stomach which typically turns it gray ish or dark black).
Nausea
Unpleasant sensation in the stomach associated with a tendency to vomit.
Steatorrhea
Fat in the feces; frothy, foul-smelling fecal matter. (The fat digestive process is not taking place properly. It could be that you are lacking fat digesting enzymes, lipases, secreted by the pancreas, or maybe your consumption of fat is a little too much the last couple of meals you consumed).
Aphthous stomatitis
Inflammation of the mouth with small, painful ulcers.
Dental caries
Tooth decay
Herpetic stomatitis
Inflammation of the mouth by infection with the herpes virus.
Oral leukoplakia
White plaques or patches. (Pre-cancerous and often seen in smokers and those who chew tobacco).
Periodontal disease
Inflammation and degeneration of the gums, teeth, and surrounding bone.
Achalasia
Failure of the lower esophagus sphincter (LES) muscle to relax. (The food that needs to enter the stomach is basically sitting and standing by because the sphincter muscle is failing to relax).
Esophageal cancer
Malignant tumor of the esophagus.
Esophageal varices
Swollen, varicose veins at the lower end of the esophagus.
Gastric carcinoma
Malignant tumor of the stomach.
Liver cirrhosis
Alcoholism
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Solids and fluids return to the mouth from the stomach.
Peptic ulcer
Open sore or lesion of the mucous membrane of the stomach or duodenum.
Hernia
Protrusion of an organ or part through the muscle normally containing it.
Anal fistula
Abnormal tube-like passageway near the anus.
Colonic polyposis
Polyps protrude from the mucous membrane of the colon.
Colorectal cancer
Adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum or both.
Crohn disease (Ulcerative Colitis)(Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD))
Chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract.
Diverticulosis (Diverticula / diverticuli) (Diverticulosis / Diverticulitis)
Abnormal side pockets (outpouchings) in the intestinal wall.
Dysentery
Painful, inflamed intestines
Hemorrhoids
Swollen, twisted, varicose veins in the rectal region.
Ileus
Failure of peristalsis with resulting obstruction of the intestines.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Inflammation of the colon and small intestine.
Intussusception
Telescoping of the intestines.
IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome - group of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with stress and tension.
Ulcerative colitis
Chronic inflammation of the colon with the presence of ulcers.
Volvulus
Twisting of the intestines on itself.
Cirrhosis
Chronic degenerative disease of the liver.
Pancreatic cancer
Malignant tumor of the pancreas.
Pancreatitis
Inflammation of the pancreas.
Viral hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver caused by a virus.
Cholelithiasis
Gallstones in the gallbladder.
