Gastroenterology: Coeliac + rare conditions Flashcards
What is coeliac disease?
T cell-mediated inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting the small bowel in which sensitivity to prolamin results in villous atrophy and malabsorption
Which part of the immune system mediates coeliac disease?
T cells
Which part of the bowel is affected in coeliac?
Small bowel
Which gender is affected more by coeliac?
Females (2:1)
Which nationality is more affected by coeliac?
Irish populations
At which age does coeliac present?
Bimodal
1) Infancy
2) 50-60 years
What are risk factors/associations with coeliac?
1) Family history
2) HLA-DQ2 allele
3) Other autoimmune disease e.g. T1D
Which gene is associated with coeliac?
HLA-DQ2 allele
What are the GI symptoms in coeliac?
1) Abdo pain
2) Distension
3) N&V
4) Diarrhoea
5) Steatorrhoea
What are the systemic symptoms of coeliac?
1) Fatigue
2) Weight loss/failure to thrive in children
What are the general signs of coeliac?
1) Pallor - anaemia
2) Short stature + wasted buttocks - malnutrition
3) Features of vitamin deficiency - malabsorption e.g bruising due to vitamin K deficiency
What is the dermatological manifestation of coeliac?
Dermatitis herpetiformis
How does dermatitis herpetiformis present?
Pruritic papulovesicular lesions over the buttocks and extensor surfaces of the arms, legs and trunks
What are features of severe coeliac disease?
1) Weight loss or failure to thrive
2) Short stature + wasted buttocks
3) Dermatitis herpetiformis
What are the complications of coeliac?
1) Unexplained iron deficiency (anaemia)
2) B12 or folate deficiency
3) Hyposplenism
4) Osteoporosis - DEXA scan may be required
What diseases are associated with coeliac?
1) Type 1 diabetes
2) Autoimmune thyroid disease e.g. Graves disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
3) Enteropathy associated T-cell lymphoma
What malignancy are people with coeliac at risk of?
T cell lymphoma (enteropathy associated)
What initial investigations should be done in coeliac disease?
1) Stool culture - to exclude infection
2) FBC - anaemia (can be any type)
3) U&E and bone profile (vitamin D absorption may be impaired)
4) LFT - albumin may be low (malabsorption)
5) Iron, B12, folate
How do you diagnose coeliac?
OGD + duodenal/jejunal biopsy
When should patients be referred for OGD + biopsy in suspected coeliac?
1) After positive serological testing
2) Negative serological testing but high suspicion
When should OGD + biopsy for coeliac ideally be carried out?
Before gluten is withdrawn from the diet + repeat after gluten withdrawal (to demonstrate resolution)
What are the histological features of coeliac on duodenal biopsy?
1) Sub-total villous atrophy
2) Crypt hyperplasia
3) Intra-epithelial lymphocytes
What two serological blood tests are done first line in suspected coeliac?
1) Anti-TTG IgA antibody
2) IgA level - 2% of coeliac patients are IgA deficient so will have a false negative anti-TTG IgA
What type of antibody is anti-TTG?
IgA
Which serological test can be measured in coeliac if the patient is found to be IgA deficient on initial testing?
Anti-TTG IgG
Which serological test can be measured in coeliac disease if anti-TTG IgG is weakly positive?
Anti-endomyseal (more specific but less sensitive)
Which two antibodies are associated with coeliac?
1) Anti-TTG (IgA and IgG)
2) Anti-endomyseal antibody
When can HLA-DQ2 testing be used for coeliac?
In specialist settings e.g. in children who are not having a biopsy
How is coeliac disease managed?
1) Life-long gluten free diet - patient education on which foods contain gluten
2) Regular monitoring to check adherence to gluten-free diet + screen for complications
What does the presence of hyposplenia as a complication of coeliac disease mean?
Patients have a susceptibility to encapsulated organisms
What is enteropathy associated T cell lymphoma (EATL)?
A rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
What is the link between EATL and coeliac?
The likelihood or acquiring this malignancy is directly proportional to the strength of overall adherence to a gluten free diet - i.e. the more a patient breaks adherence, the more likely they are to get EATL
What is gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying)?
Delayed gastric emptying caused by decreased activity of the stomach muscles, causing food to be held in the stomach for a longer period than usual
Which condition is gastroparesis associated with?
Diabetes
What causes the delayed gastric emptying in gastroparesis?
Decreased activity of the stomach muscles (food held in stomach longer than usual)
Why does gastroparesis develop in diabetes?
Due to autonomic neuropathy
How does gastroparesis present?
1) N&V
2) Feeling of fullness after a few bites
3) Abdominal pain
4) Bloating
5) ± poor glucose control due to lack of absorption of indigested food in diabetic patients
Why does gastroparesis in diabetes lead to poor glucose control?
Due to lack of absorption of indigested food
How do you diagnose gastroparesis?
Solid meal gastric scintigraphy (radionuclide studies of gastric emptying)
How do you manage gastroparesis?
1) Dietary modification - low fibre, smaller/more frequent meals, pureed/mashed food
2) Domperidone
3) Metoclopramide or erythromycin (motility agents)
Which medications can be used to manage gastroparesis?
1) Domperidone
2) Metoclopramide or erythromycin (motility agents)
What dietary modifications are recommended in gastroparesis?
1) Low fibre
2) Smaller/more frequent meals
3) Pureed/mashed food
What is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?
The development of several ulcerations in the stomach + duodenum due to uncontrolled release of gastrin from a gastrinoma in the pancreas or less commonly duodenum
Where does the ulceration occur in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?
Stomach + duodenum
What causes Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?
Uncontrolled release of gastrin from a gastrinoma
What does the uncontrolled release of gastrin in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome result in?
Ulcers (gastric + duodenal)
Where does the gastrinoma usually present in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome?
Pancreas (can also occur in duodenum)
Which condition is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome associated with?
MEN-1 (multiple endocrine neoplasia 1)