GASTROENTEROLOGY Flashcards
A 17 mo old toddler presents with irritability, refusal to walk with tenderness in both of her legs. She has a low grade fever, petechiae on her skin and mucous membranes. She has a small cut that has not healed well. Radiographs of the legs show bony atrophy with epiphyseal separation. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Vitamin C deficiency (ie. scurvy)
A mom of a 2 yo girl tells you she thinks her daughter is lactose-intolerant. What is your response?
IDIOT. Acquired lactase deficiency is VERY rare in children < 4-6 yo
A patient presents to you 1 week after a viral illness with vomiting, irritability and lethargy. She then develops delirium and seizures. There is mild hepatomegaly and her bloodwork reveals elevated liver enzymes, ammonia, coagulopathy and hypoglycemia. Liver biopsy shows elevated triglyceride content and diffuse fatty infiltration of hepatocytes with minimal inflammatory changes.
What is your diagnosis?
Reye syndrome! Acute encephalopathy and fatty degeneration of the liver -associated with aspirin use in children with viral infections including influenza and varicella -think encephalopathy, liver failure, and FATTY LIVER on biopsy
A patient presents to you with severe, progressive epigastric pain with intractable vomiting. 3 days ago, he sustained a bicycle handlebar injury to the abdomen.
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- imaging?
- treatment?
Duodenal hematoma = swelling causes intestinal obstruction -diagnosis: UGI series (“coiled spring appearance”) or CT abdo -treatment: NPO, NG decompression, TPN until obstructive symptoms resolve (usually 7-10 d)
A patient presents with acute diarrhea after eating raw shell fish.
What organism is most likely the culprit?
-treatment?
Vibrio cholerae
-supportive care OR doxycycline for severe illness
A patient presents with acute diarrhea after playing in the dirt. He is also found to have peripheral eosinophilia and a liver abscess.
What organism is most likely the culprit?
-treatment?
Entamoeba histolytica
-mebendazole
A patient presents with acute vomiting and diarrhea after eating reheated rice.
What organism is most likely the culprit? -management?
Bacillus cereus -management: supportive care
A patient presents with focal biliary cirrhosis. What condition is this pathognomonic for and what testing should you do?
Pathognomonic for CF! Need to do sweat chloride
An adolescent who has been in a body cast following orthopedic surgery starts vomiting profusely and complains of severe epigastric pain 2 weeks post-op.
What is the most likely diagnosis?
-treatment?
SMA syndrome -treatment:
- Lateral or prone positioning to shift duodenum away from obstructing structures and resme oral intake
- If that doesn’t work, may need NJ tube or TPN
An immunocompromised patient with HIV presents to you with fever, dysphagia, odynophagia, and retrosternal pain.
What is the most likely diagnosis?
Infectious esophagitis -common etiologies: candida, HSV, CMV
Complication of chronic pancreatitis?
Diabetes
Complications of acute pancreatitis?
- Pseudocyst
- Multi-organ system failure
For reflux, when would a barium swallow be useful?
Useful to rule out mechanical obstruction: malrotation, achalasia
How can you differentiate on clinical history GERD vs. EE?
EE usually does NOT respond to acid blockade therapy
How common is lactose intolerance in asians vs. blacks?
-is testing required?
Asians: 40% Blacks: 85%
- testing is not required if symptoms improve with removal of dairy
- hydrogen breath test if you need to confirm
How do you diagnose H. pylori?
- Hydrogen breath test
- Biopsy
How do you differentiate upper vs. lower GI bleed anatomically?
Upper = above ligament of Treitz
Lower = below ligament of Treitz (suspensory ligament attaching duodenum to connective tissue)
How do you perform:
- rovsing’s sign?
- psoas sign?
- obturator sign?
- sensitivity of these tests?
Rovsing’s sign: press in the LLQ, if the patient feels pain in RRQ, this is positive
Psoas sign = seen with retrocecal appendicitis -so remember that the psoas muscle is posterior SO, get the patient to roll onto their left side and EXTEND the right hip. If this causes the patient pain, this is a positive psoas sign
Obturator sign: obturator muscle causes internal rotation of the hip SO flex the patient’s hip and knee and internally rotate. If painful, this is a positive obturator sign
****These tests have high specificity but LOW sensitivity
How do you diagnose eosinophilic esophagitis?
- Bloodwork: peripheral eosinophilia, elevated IgE
- Endoscopy = gold standard = biopsy showing >15-20 eosinophils/hpf
How long does breastmilk jaundice last for? -peak? -how to confirm?
Can last up to 10 weeks -peaks at 5-15 days -confirm
How long should you try an H2 blocker for reflux before increasing dose, adding or switching therapies?
4-6 weeks of same dose
How many types of choledochal cysts are there?
- which is most common type?
- which population does it affect more: males or females?
5 types overall
- Type I = most common = diltation of the common bile duct -affects females 4x more than males
- type 5 = Caroli disease = intrahepatic bile duct cysts
In a patient with chronic constipation, what 3 signs are suggestive of a distal GI obstruction and should prompt further investigations?
- Narrow diameter stools (stools squeezing past an obstruction or Hirschsprung’s where not enough strength is generated to push the entire stool mass through)
- Abdominal distention
- Lack of encopresis (almost never see encopresis in Hirschsprung’s)
In a patient with suspected E. coli 0157:H, what test can isolate the organism?
Stool culture on sorbitol-MacConkey medium (won’t grow on regular stool cultures)
In what age group is volvulus most likely seen in?
-what is the definitive treatment?
Early infancy = more than 90% of cases present in first year of life BUT can present at any age
-definitive treatment: surgery (Ladd procedure)
What are the 3 main functional liver biochemical profiles in acute liver injury caused by hepatitis viruses?
- Cytopathic injury
- rise in serum ALT and AST: magnitude of rise does NOT correlate with extent of hepatocellular necrosis and has little prognostic value
- slowly improve over several weeks but lag behind serum bilirubin level (normalizes first)
- rapidly falling ALT and AST in conjunction with increased bilirubin and INR can mean massive hepatic injury (injured or dead cells don’t produce enzymes) -
Cholestasis -elevated serum conjugated bilirubin from abnormal bile flow at the canalicular and cellular level due to hepatocyte damage and inflammation
- can also have increased ALP and GGT - Altered synthetic function -this should be MAIN FOCUS of monitoring -indication for prompt referral to transplant center if abnormal
a.-abnormal protein synthesis: decreased coags, decreased albumin
b.-metabolic disturbances: hypoglycemia, hyperammonemia, lactic acidosis
c.-hepatic encephalopathy: altered LOC with hyperreflexia
Liver failure Altered synthetic function profile?
Altered synthetic function-this should be MAIN FOCUS of monitoring -indication for prompt referral to transplant center if abnormal
a. -abnormal protein synthesis: decreased coags, decreased albumin
b. -metabolic disturbances: hypoglycemia, hyperammonemia, lactic acidosis
c. -hepatic encephalopathy:altered LOC with hyperreflexia
Liver failure Cholestasis profile?
- Cholestasis-elevated serum conjugated bilirubin from abnormal bile flow at the canalicular and cellular level due to hepatocyte damage and inflammation
- can also have increased ALP and GGT
Liver failure Cytopathic injury profile?
- Cytopathic injury
- rise in serum ALT and AST:magnitude of rise does NOT correlate with extent of hepatocellular necrosis and has little prognostic value
- slowly improve over several weeks but lag behind serum bilirubin level (normalizes first)
- rapidly falling ALT and AST in conjunction with increased bilirubin and INR can mean massive hepatic injury (injured or dead cells don’t produce enzymes)
Overview of management of acute pancreatitis?
- NPO –> can start feeds after 24-48 hrs if improved -enteral feeds are preferred to TPN if child is clinically tolerating and not septic
- Fluids fluids fluids –> give bolus and 1.5 maintenance
- Analgesia –> morphine
- Stop any possible aggravating factors
- Anti-emetics
What are 2 lab findings in eosinophilic esophagatisi? -appearance on endoscopy?
- Peripheral eosinophilia
- Elevated IgE
- appearance on endoscopy: FURROWED esophagus
What are 2 metabolic causes of pancreatitis?
- Hypercalcemia
- Hypertriglyceridemia
What are 3 possible complications from untreated GERD?
- Esophageal strictures
- Barrett’s esophagus
- Adenocarcinoma
What are 3 types of gallstones?
- Cholesterol stones: increased secretion of cholesterol into bile (see in hyperlipidemia, obesity, pregnancy, females)
- Black pigment stones: increased conjugated bilirubin into bile (hemolytic disease, pancreatic insuffiency, TPN)
- Brown pigment stones: from bacterial and parasitic infections
What are 4 possible lab findings of CMPA?
- Increased IgE
- Increased eosinophils
- Increased platelets
- Decreased albumin
What are 8 intestinal manifestations of celiac disease?
- what are 5 signs on physical exam of celiac disease?
- what are 3 biopsy findings of celiac disease?
- what are non GI manifestations of celiac disease?
Intestinal manifestations:
- FTT/wt loss
- Diarrhea (with occult blood loss)
- Irritability 4. Vomiting 5. Anorexia or excessive appetite 6. Foul-smelling, bulky stools 7. Abdominal pain 8. Rectal prolapse
Signs:
- Poor growth for both height and weight 2. Wasted muscles 3. Abdominal distention 4. Edema 5. Digital clubbing
Biopsy findings: 1. Villous atrophy 2. Crypt hyperplasia 3. Intraepithelial lymphocytosis
Non GI manifestations: 1. Dermatitis herptiformis 2. Dental enamel hypoplasia of permanent teeth 3. Iron deficiency anemia resistant to oral Fe
What are associated conditions with celiac disease? (5)
- Autoimmune thyroiditis
- Type 1 DM
- Down syndrome
- Turner syndrome
- IgA deficiency
- William’s syndrome
What are causes of small-intestinal flat villi? (8)
- Infection: Giardia 2. HIV 3. Intestinal TB 4.
- Diseases: Primary immunodeficiency, Crohn’s disease, Celiac’s
- Malnutrition
What are circumstances that air enema would not be effective in reducing intussusception? (2)
- Pathologic lead point
- Ileo-ileo intussusception (usually doesn’t respond to air enema, usually requires surgery)
What are clinical features of Giardia infection? (5)
- Recurrent abdmoinal pain 2. Cramping 3. Bloating 4. Weight loss 5. Intermittent diarrhea
What are common acute complications of Crohn’s disease?
- Abscesses.
- Perforation
- Toxic megacolon (less risk than UC)
- GI bleed
- Bowel obstruction
- Infection
What are common medication causes of pancreatitis? -2 general classes
anti-epileptics Valproic acid
chemotherapy
L-aspariginase Azathioprine Mercaptopurine
What are contraindications to air or barium enema in treating intussusception? (3)
- Perforation
- Hemodynamically unstable
- Signs of ischemia
What are extrahepatic causes of portal hypertension? (3)
- Portal vein thrombosis (most common)
- Portal vein agenesis/stenosis
- Splenic vein thrombosis
What are life threatening complications for UC? (5)
- Sepsis
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Fulminant colitis
- Toxic megacolon/perforation
- Adenocarcinoma
What are organic causes of constipation? (6)
- Hypercalcemia
- Hypokalemia
- Hypothyroidism
- Celiac disease
- Hirschsprung’s
- Ulcerative colitis
What are risk factors for adenocarcinoma in the setting of a diagnosis of UC? (4)
- Disease > 10 years
- Onset before age 15 yo
- Pancolitis
- PSC
What are risk factors for developing peptic ulcer disease?
- test for diagnosis?
- treatment?
- Caffeine/alcohol/tobacco use
- G tubes
- NSAIDs
- Burn injuries
- Systemic illnesses: sepsis
- Steroids
- gold standard for diagnosis: endoscopy with biopsy -
treatment:
- Avoid triggering substances
- PPIs
- Treatment of H pylori with clarithromycin +amoxil (abx x 2 wks) + PPI (x 1 mo) (OR amox + flagyl + PPI OR clarithro + flagyl + PPI)
- Surgery for severe and/or refractory cases
What are risk factors for TPN cholestasis? (5)
- Prematurity
- Low birth weight
- Sepsis
- Prolonged duration of TPN
- NEC
What are signs of meconium ileus on abdominal imaging (ie. AXR/contrast enema)?
-most common area of obstruction?
AXR: dilated bowel loops at level of obstructon (usually at terminal ileum)
-see bubbly, granular pattern at the level of obstruction -Contrast enema: microcolon from disuse
What are tests to order for diagnosing Hirschsprung’s? (3)
-which one is gold standard?
- Anorectal manometry: initial diagnostic test = will see failure of internal anal sphincter relaxation in response to dilating a balloon in the rectum
- Barium enema: delayed evacuation > 24 hrs
- Rectal biopsy = GOLD STANDARD = will see no ganglion cells, increased acetylcholinesterase staining
What are the 2 forms of autoimmune hepatitis?
-target population?
Type I autoimmune hepatitis: usually in young women aged 15-25 yrs, associated with other autoimmune conditions
-type II autoimmune hepatitis: occurs in young children
What are the 2 most common causes of bloody stools in infants < 6 mo?
- CMPA
- Anal/rectal fissure