Gastroenterology Flashcards
A 40-year-old asymptomatic man presents for a routine visit with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (55 international units [IU]/mL). His mother died of hepatocellular carcinoma and he has a middle-aged sister with “hepatitis B infection”. He has a normal physical examination and has no stigmata of chronic liver disease.
Likely cause?
Hepatitis B presentation
A 42-year-old man is referred to the liver clinic with mild elevation in aminotransferases for several years. He has a medical history significant for obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia. He does not smoke or drink alcohol and there is no high-risk behaviour. He has a family history of premature cardiac disease. He is taking a diuretic and, because of his elevated liver tests, was recommended to discontinue his statin medication several months ago. Other than complaints of mild fatigue, the patient feels well. Examination is notable for a BMI of 37 kg/m², truncal obesity, and mild hepatomegaly.
Likely cause?
NAFLD
Abdominal signs for Crohns?
- Aphthous ulcers
- glossitis
- Abdominal tenderness
- RIF mass
- Perianal abscesses, fistulae, tags
- Anal/rectal stricture
Abdominal signs for UC?
- Fever
- Tender, distended abdomen
Abdominal symptoms presentation in Crohns?
- Diarrhoea (not bloody mostly)
- Abdominal pain
- Weight loss more prominent
- Extra-intestinal signs
Abdominal symptoms presentation in UC?
- Diarrhoea
- Blood ± mucus PR
- Abdominal discomfort
- Tenesmus, faecal urgency (more rectally)
Nocturnal diarrhoea and incontinence are typical features of IBD.
Acute complications of acute severe ulcerative colitis
- Perforation
- Bleeding
- Toxic Megacolon (>6cm)
- VTE
Later on - DALM lesion can lead to metasitic disease.
Acute pancreatitis?
Hypocalcaemia = saponification of fats. As lipase leaks out of damaged pancreas = breaks down fat into triglyceride + fatty acid. These combine with calcium to make soap.
Amylase does not correlate with disease severity.
Serum lipase is more sensitive and specific.
Assessment of severity
- Glasgow, Ranson scoring systems and APACHE II
Predicts severe attack with 48hrs
= Clinical impression of severity
- Body mass index >30
- Pleural effusion
- APACHE score >8
24hrs = Clinical impression of severity
APACHE II >8
Glasgow score of 3 or more
Persisting multiple organ failure
CRP>150
48hr
= Glasgow Score of >3
CRP >150
Persisting or progressive organ failure
- Patients with acute pancreatitis due to gallstones should undergo early cholecystectomy.
- Patients with obstructed biliary system due to stones should undergo early ERCP.
- Patients who fail to settle with necrosis and have worsening organ dysfunction may require debridement, fine needle aspiration is still used by some.
- Patients with infected necrosis should undergo either radiological drainage or surgical necrosectomy. The choice of procedure depends upon local expertise.
AIH Presentation?
Teens and early 20s (25%)
- Constitutional: fatigue, fever, malaise
- Cushingoid: hirsute, acne, striae
- Hepatitis
- HSM (hepatosplenomegaly)
- Fever
- Amenorrhoea
- Polyarthritis
- Pulmonary infiltration
- Pleurisy
Post/peri-menopausal
- Present insidiously with chronic liver disease
Alcoholic ketoacidosis?
Alcoholic ketoacidosis is a non-diabetic euglycaemic form of ketoacidosis. It occurs in people who regularly drink large amounts of alcohol. Often alcoholics will not eat regularly and may vomit food that they do eat, leading to episodes of starvation. Once the person becomes malnourished, after an alcohol binge the body can start to break down body fat, producing ketones. Hence the patient develops a ketoacidosis.
It typically presents with a pattern of:
Metabolic acidosis
Elevated anion gap
Elevated serum ketone levels
Normal or low glucose concentration
The most appropriate treatment is an infusion of saline & thiamine. Thiamine is required to avoid Wernicke encephalopathy or Korsakoff psychosis.
Amoebic abscess?
Entamoeba Histolytica Liver abscess is the most common extra-intestinal manifestation of amoebiasisBetween 75 and 90% lesions occur in the right lobePresenting complaints typically include fever and right upper quadrant pain. - profuse, bloody diarrhoeathere may be a long incubation periodstool microscopy may show trophozoites if examined within 15 minutes or kept warm (known as a ‘hot stool’)treatment is with metronidazoleUltrasonography will usually show a fluid filled structure with poorly defined boundariesAspiration yield sterile odourless fluid which has an anchovy paste consistencyTreatment is with metronidazole
Antibodies for PBC
AMA
Antibodies for PSC
ANCA, ANA
Are Crohns or UC patients younger?
Crohns = 20s
UC = 30s
As part of portal hypertension - you can get splenomegaly
Splenic congestion
- Hypersplenism: decreased WCC, decreased platelets.
Massive splenomegaly - CML, Myelofibrosis, Visceral leishmaniasis, Malaria.
Mild: Infections: IE, EBV, CMV, amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, SLE, RA(Felty’s).
Ascitic tap that indicates SBP?
PMN > 250mm indicates SBP, whether or not culture has grown.
Most common organism = E.coli
ASSESSMENT FOR UGIB
- A-E and patient NBM
- optomise airway and breathing
- insert 2 wide bore cannula for fluids
- Bloods:
- FBC with serial assessment of Hb ever 6 hrs + assessment of platelet levels
- Group and Save (crossmatch 4-8 units where necessary)
- Coagulation profile
- Lfts +U&Es (acute organ injury + underlying cause)
- urine output needs monitoring
Assessment of a severe attack of Crohns?
- Increased temp, increased HR, increased ESR, increased CRP, increased WCC, decreased albumin
Associated disease of PBC?
- Thyroid
- RA, Sjogrens, scleroderma
- Coeliac
- Renal tubular acidosis
- Membranous GN
Associated diseases with AIH?
- Autoimmune thyroiditis
- DM
- Pernicious anaemia
- PSC
- UC
- GN
- AIHA (Coombs +ve)
Associated diseases with PSC?
- 3% of those with UC have PSC
- 80-100% of those with PSC have UC/Crohns
- Crohns much raiser
- AIH
- HIV
At what level is jaundice visible?
50uM (3x upper limit of normal)
Autoimmune Hepatitis pathophysiology
- Inflammatory disease of unknown cause characterised by Abs directed vs hepatocyte surface antigens
- Predominately young and middle-aged women
- Classified according to Abs
T1 = Adult, SMA+ (80%), ANA+ (10%), Increased IgG
T2 = Young, LKM+
T3 = Adult, SLA+
Barrett’s oesophagus
Metaplasia of the lower oesophagus mucosa - squamous being replaced with columnar epithelium.
- Increased risk of adenocarcinoma.
Barrett’s can be subdivided into short (<3cm) and long (>3cm).
Management
- Endoscopic surveillance with biopsies
- High dose PPI: whilst this is commonly used in patients with Barrett’s the evidence .
Endoscopic surveillance
- Metaplasia endoscopy is recommended every 3-5 years
If dysplasia of any grade is identified endoscopic intervention is offered
- Endoscopic mucosal resection
- Radiofrequency ablation
H. Pylori associations
1. B-cell Lymphoma of MALT tissue
2. atrophic gastritis
3. Peptic ulcer disease
4. Gastric carcinoma