Digestive System Diagnostic, Symptomatic, and related terms

Question 0

anorexia

Answer 0

lack or loss of appetite, resulting in the inability to eat (not the same as anorexia nervosa)

Question 1

Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Answer 1

cancerous glandular tumor in the stomach that usually develops from the epithelial or mucosal lining of the stomach

Question 2

appendicitis

Answer 2

inflammation of the appendix, usually due to obstruction or infection

Question 3

ascites

Answer 3

abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen

most commonly associated with cirrhosis of the liver, especially when caused by alcoholism.

Question 4

borborygmus

Answer 4

Rumbling or gurgling noises that are audible at a distance and caused by passage of gas through the liquid contents of the intestine.

Question 5

cachexia

Answer 5

physical wasting that includes loss of weight and muscle mass; commonly associated with AIDS and cancer

Question 6

choleolithiasis

Answer 6

presence or formation of gallstones in the gallbladder or common bile duct(may be assymptomatic)

Question 7

cirrhosis

Answer 7

Scarring and dysfunction of the liver caused by chronic liver disease

Question 8

colic

Answer 8

spasm in any hollow or tubular soft organ especially in the colon, accompanied by pain

Question 9

Crohn disease

Answer 9

chronic inflammation, usually of the ileum, but possibly affecting any portion of the intestinal tract; also called regional enteritis. May cause fever, cramping, diarrhea, and weight loss.

Question 10

deglutition

Answer 10

act of swallowing

Question 11

dysentery

Answer 11

inflammation of the intestine, especially the colon, that may be caused by ingesting water or food containing chemical irritants, bacteria, protozoa, or parasites, which results in bloody diarrhea

Question 12

dyspepsia

Answer 12

epigastric discomfort felt after eating, also called indigestion

Question 13

dysphgagia

Answer 13

inability or difficulty swallowing; also called aphagia

Question 14

eructation

Answer 14

producing gas from the stomach, usually with a characteristic sound; also called belching

Question 15

fecalith

Answer 15

fecal concretion

Question 16

flatus

Answer 16

gas in the GI tract; expelling of air from a body orifice, especially the anus

Question 17

gastroesophageal reflux disease

Answer 17

backflow of gastric contents into the esophagus due to a malfunction of the sphincter muscle at the inferior portion of the esophagus

Question 18

halitosis

Answer 18

bad breath

Question 19

hematemesis

Answer 19

vomiting of blood from bleeding in the stomach or esophagus

Question 20

irritable bowel syndrome

Answer 20

symptom complex marked by abdominal pain and altered bowel function (typically constipation, diarrhea, or alternating constipation and diarrhea) for which no organic cause can be determined; also called spastic colon

Question 21

malabsorption syndrome

Answer 21

symptom complex of the small intestine characterized by the impaired passage of nutrients, minerals, or fluids through intestinal villi into the blood or lymph

Question 22

melena

Answer 22

passage of dark colored, tarry stools, due to the presence of blood altered by intestinal juices

Question 23

obesity

Answer 23

Excessive accumulation of fat that exceeds the body’s skeletal and physical standards, usually an increase of 20 percent or more above ideal body weight

Question 24

morbid obesity

Answer 24

body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater, which is generally 100 or more pounds over ideal body weight

Question 25

obstipation

Answer 25

severe constipation; may be caused by intestinal obstruction

Question 26

oral leukoplakia

Answer 26

formation of white spots or patches on the mucous membrane of the tongue, lips, or cheek caused primarily by irritaiton

Question 27

peristalsis

Answer 27

progressive, wavelike movement that occurs involuntarily in hollow tubes of the body, especially the GI tract

Question 28

pyloric stenosis

Answer 28

stricture or narrowing of the pyloric sphincter (circular muscle of the pylorus) at the outlet of the stomach, causing an obstruction that blocks the flow of food into the small intestine

Question 29

regurgitation

Answer 29

backward flowing, as in the return of solids or fluids to the mouth from the stomach

Question 30

steatorrhea

Answer 30

passage of fat in large amounts in the feces due to failure to digest and absorb it.

Question 31

adhesions

Answer 31

scar tissue that can cause intestinal obstruction

Question 32

volvolus

Answer 32

intestinal twisting

Question 33

intussusceptions

Answer 33

intestinal telescoping where part of the intestine sliups into another part just beneath it

Question 34

hernia

Answer 34

a protrusion of any organ, tissue, or structure through the wall of the cavity in which it is naturally contained. In general the term is applied to protrusions of abdominal organs through the abdominal wall (see pgs. 116 and 117)