Gastroenterology Flashcards
What disorders are characterised by vomiting of undigested food?
Achalasia
Delayed gastric emptying
Rumination
What does bilious vomiting suggest?
GI obstruction beyond the duodenum (eg malrotation, volvulus, obstruction eg mec ileus)
Best test for diagnosis of chronic vomiting
Endoscopy
Describe cyclic vomiting syndrome
Paroxysms of vomiting followed by symptom free periods (weeks to mths)
Strong association with fam hx migraines
Median age onset 5 yrs
Thought due to dysfunction of vasovagal axis
2016 Rome IV criteria cyclical vomiting syndrome (3)
2 or more periods of unremitting paroxysmal vomiting with or without retching, lasting hrs to days, within a 6 mth period + 3 episodes in past yr
Episodes are stereotypical for each pt
Episodes separated by wks to mths with return to baseline btwn
2016 Rome IV criteria for rumination syndrome (3)
Repeated regurgitation and rechewing or expulsion of food that occurs soon after a meal
Not preceded by retching
Can’t be explained by another disorder
Gastroparesis definition
Delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction
Most common cause is post-infectious (viral gastro) which causes neuropathy of autonomic ganglia
Other causes = T1D, gastric hypomotility (eg in kids with static encephalopathy)
Symptoms gastroparesis
N&V (undigested food many hrs after a meal)
Abdominal pain
Early satiety
Abdominal distention
+/- Weight loss
Symptom of h pylori infection
Night time awakening from pain
Differential dx - pain with eating
Biliary disease eg cholecystitis
Pancreatitis
Describe functional abdominal pain
Peak incidence 7-10 yrs
3 or more episodes in last 3 mths that interferes with activities of daily living
Gth and development are NORMAL
School absenteeism big issue
Pain worse with environmental stressors, temperament, secondary gain
Also called pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID)
Features on hx that suggest abdo pain is organic not functional
Unexplained intermittent fevers
Wakes pt at night
Bilious or protracted vomiting
Bloody or chronic loose stools
Wt loss or poor wt gain
Deceleration linear gth
Oral ulcers
Localised RUQ or RLQ tenderness
Costovertebral angle tenderness
Hepatosplenomegaly
Perianal abnormalities
Abdo pain patterns in functional disorders
Functional abdo pain syndrome - periumbilical + normal gth and appetite
Functional dyspepsia - midepigastric + correlates with meals
IBS - pain improves with defacation and frequent changes in stool caliber or regularity
Abdominal migraine - pain poorly localised, may be dull to severe + usually fam hx migraines
Typical infectious diarrhoea clues
Recent travel - E coli, Giardia
Exposure to reptiles - Salmonella
Fever + high WCC - Shigella
HUS - E coli O157:H7
Lake swimming, drinking - Giardia
Pork intestine - Yersinia
Recent abx use - C diff
Chicken - Campylobacter
Differential dx chronic diarrhoea
IBS
Functional diarrhoea (toddler’s)
Post enteritis syndrome
Carbohydrate malabsorption syndrome
IBD
CF
Giardia, other parasites
Organic causes constipation
Thyroid disorders
Hirschsprung disease
CF
Spinal dysraphism
Other neurological
Describe infant dyschezia
Up to age 9 mths
> 10 mins straining or crying before successful or unsuccessful passage of stools
Due to poor coordination btwn intraabdominal pressure and relaxation of pelvic floor
Normal stool consistency ie not hard
Explain functional constipation
Most common cause of constipation
2 peaks - toilet training and start of school
Also due to painful defacation, anal fissures, perianal infections
Associated with abdo pain, soiling, reduced appetite
Antenatal clue for tracheoesophageal fistula and oesophageal atresia
Polyhydramnios (except in H type)
Most common form of TOF
Type C
Blind, upper OA with a fistula between the lower oesophagus and lower portion of the trachea.
Will present with excessive oral secretions and appears to be choking frequently, esp when feeding.
Dx: attempt to pas NGT
Mx: keep at ~30 degrees, surgery
Describe xray finding of isolated oesophageal atresia aka no fistula between oesophagus and distal trachea
Flat, gasless abdomen (not seen in TOF) - no connection from trachea to oesophagus and no air entry via oesophagus
Proportion of patients with TOF that have other congenital abnormalities
1/3 (esp VACTERL)
Describe achalasia
Disorder of the oesophagus characterised by incomplete relaxation of the LOS and a lack of normal oesophageal peristalsis (motor not anatomic problem).
Like due to autoimmune mediated loss of ganglion cells and/or dorsal motor nuclei reduction of vagus nerve signals.
Mean age of presentation is 9 yrs.
Treatment = myotomy
Congenital disorder associated with achalasia
Allgrove syndrome
GORD red flags
Systemic: FTT, feeding refusal, dystonic neck posturing, dental erosions, anaemia
Resp: wheezing, stridor, cough, hoarseness, recurrent aspiration pneumonia
GI - oesophagitis, oesophageal stricture, haematemesis, dysphagia
Diagnosis of oesophagitis (GORD, eosinophilic, infectious)
Upper endoscopy WITH biopsy
Surgical management severe GORD
Nissen fundoplication - fundus of the stomach is pulled up and wrapped around the lower oesophagus, forming a valve
Most common cause of dysphagia or food impaction in children
Eosinophilic oesophagitis
Adenomatous polyps
Gland-like growths that develop on the mucous membrane that lines the large intestine
Hamartomatous polyp
Juvenile polyp with 3 classical histological features
1) dilated cystic glands with retention of mucous and lined by tall columnar epithelium
2) markedly expanded lamina propria
3) diffuse chronic infiltration of inflammatory cells