Clinical Conditions

Question 1

What is paralytic ileus?

Answer 1

Paralytic ileus is a condition wherein the intestine is obstructed due to the loss of GI contractility (paralysis of the intestinal muscles)

Question 2

What is peptic ulcer disease?

Answer 2

Peptic ulcer disease is a condition which occurs when ulcers form and extend into the muscularis mucosae of the stomach due to defects in gastric/duodenal mucosa

Question 3

What is an epigastric hernia?

Answer 3

An epigastric hernia is a type of hernia which occurs when abdominal contents go through the linea alba between xiphoid process-umbilicus

Question 4

What is an indirect inguinal hernia?

Answer 4

An indirect inguinal hernia is a type of hernia where the peritoneal sac enters the inguinal canal through the deep inguinal ring and passes through the canal to the superficial inguinal ring

Question 5

What is cirrhosis?

Answer 5

Cirrhosis is a condition caused by liver fibrosis, producing a shrunken hard nodular liver

Question 6

What is inflammatory bowel disease?

Answer 6

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of clinical conditions which are characterised by the idiopathic inflammation of the GI tact and affect the overall function of the gut

Question 7

What is Hirschsprung’s disease?

Answer 7

Hirschsprung’s disease is a congenital disorder of the colons wherein a lack of myenteric and submucosal plexuses cause chronic constipation

Question 8

What is pyloric stenosis?

Answer 8

Pyloric stenosis is the hypertrophy of the circular muscle in the region of the pyloric sphincter (not a recanalisation failure)

Question 9

What is chronic pancreatitis?

Answer 9

• Chronic pancreatitis is rare condition caused by alchol abuse where repeated low grade pancreatitis causes pancreatic fibrosis
• The pancreas becomes calcified and patients suffer severe epigastric and back pain that leads to opiate addiction and not infrequently suicide

Question 10

What is acute cholecystitis?

Answer 10

Acute cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder, occurring when a gallstone blocks the cystic duct and commonly caused by E.coli

Question 11

What is cholangitis?

Answer 11

Cholangitis is an infection in the bile ducts and a life-threatening complication of bile duct obstruction, commonly caused by E. Coli

Question 12

What is a strangulated femoral hernia?

Answer 12

A strangulated femoral hernia is type of hernia which occurs when a femoral hernia blocks blood supply to part of the bowel

Question 13

What is autoimmune gastritis?

Answer 13

Autoimmune gastritis is a clinical condition wherein the stomach lining is inflamed due to antibodies to gastric parietal cells

Question 14

What is gastroschisis?

Answer 14

• Gastroschisis is the failure of closure of the abdominal wall during the folding of the embryo
• The gut tube & derivatives are outside the body cavitiy

Question 15

What is bacterial gastritis?

Answer 15

Bacterial gastritis is a clinical condition wherein the stomach lining is inflamed commonly due to the H.pylori bacteria

Question 16

What is achalasia?

Answer 16

Achalasia is a rare disorder of the oesophagus wherein the loss of contraction of oesophageal muscles leads to the failure of LOS to relax (open – dysphagia)

Question 17

What is biliary colic?

Answer 17

• Biliary colic is pain in the right upper quadrant that radiates to the tip of the right scapula/right shouder
• It is often precipitated by eating a fatty meal and lasts up to 6 hours

Question 18

What is a hernia?

Answer 18

A hernia is a protrusion of part of the abdominal contents beyond the normal confines of it containing cavity e.g abdominal wall

Question 19

What is Ulcerative colitis?

Answer 19

Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that where the large intestine and the rectum are severely inflamed

Question 20

What is Coeliac disease?

Answer 20

Coeliac disease is the intolerance of the gliadin fraction of gluten which is found in wheat, rye and barley and results in immune response

Question 21

What is an acquired infantile hernia?

Answer 21

An acquired infantile hernia is a type of umbilical hernia where the contents herniate through weakness in scar of umbilicus

Question 22

What is a direct inguinal hernia?

Answer 22

• A direct inguinal hernia is a type of hernia where the peritoneal sac enters the inguinal canal through the posterior wall of the inguinal canal
• It bulges through Hesselbach’s triangle and is in the vicinity of the superficial inguinal ring

Question 23

What is stomach cancer?

Answer 23

Stomach cancer is a condition which involves tumour formation in the stomach lining

Question 24

What is an acquired adult hernia?

Answer 24

An acquired adult hernia is a type of umbilical hernia where the contents go through the linea alba in region of umbilicus

Question 25

What is omphalocoele?

Answer 25

Omphalocoele is the persistence of physiological herniation with a thin tissue layer covering

Question 26

What is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?

Answer 26

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is a condition when 1/more gastrin-secreting tumors (gastrinoma) form in your pancreas and duodenum

Question 27

What is Crohn’s disease?

Answer 27

Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus

Question 28

What is acute pancreatitis?

Answer 28

• Acute pancreatitis is a common condition arising from the premature activation of pancreatic proteases in the pancreas itself rather than in the duodenum
• These proteases then autodigest the pancreas and the retroperitoneum

Question 29

What is indeterminate colitis?

Answer 29

Indeterminate colitis refers to the 10% of cases of inflammatory bowel disease where there is difficulty distinguishing between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

Question 30

What is xerostomia?

Answer 30

• Xerostomia is the dryness of the mouth due to a change in the composition of saliva or reduced saliva in the mouth
• It is associated with dehydration

Question 31

What is a femoral hernia?

Answer 31

A femoral hernia is a type of hernia which occurs just below the inguinal ligament, where abdominal contents pass through the femoral canal

Question 32

What is pancreatic cancer?

Answer 32

• Pancreatic carcinoma is a condition resulting from the uncontrolled cell growth in the pancreas which metastasises to the rest of the body
• Nearly all are ductal adenocarcinomas and most are in the head of the pancreas

Question 33

What is steatorrhea?

Answer 33

Steatorrhea is the condition where undigested fat appears in faeces due to inadequate secretion of bile acids (salts) or pancreatic lipases

Question 34

What is Barrett’s Oesophagus?

Answer 34

• Barrett’s oesophagus is the metaplasia of squamous epithelium to columnar
• It increases the risk of developing adenocarcinoma (30-40x)

Question 35

What is gastritis?

Answer 35

Gastritis is a condition involving the inflammation of the stomach lining

Question 36

What is GORD?

Answer 36

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a digestive disorder that affects the lower oesophageal sphincter and causes the reflux of stomach acid/contents into the oesophagus