Gastrointestinal- Phatology (2) Flashcards
Acute mesenteric ischemia
Critical blockage of intestinal blood flow (often embolic occlusion of SMA) small bowel necrosis abdominal pain out of proportion to physical findings. May see red “currant jelly” stools.
Chronic mesenteric ischemia
“Intestinal angina”: atherosclerosis of celiac artery, SMA, or IMA intestinal hypoperfusion postprandial epigastric pain food aversion and weight loss.
Colonic ischemia
Crampy abdominal pain followed by hematochezia.
Commonly occurs at watershed areas (splenic flexure, distal colon). Typically affects elderly.
Thumbprint sign on imaging due to mucosal edema/hemorrhage.
Angiodysplasia
Tortuous dilation of vessels hematochezia. Most often found in the right-sided colon. More common in older patients.
Confirmed by angiography. Associated with aortic stenosis and von Willebrand disease
Adhesion
Fibrous band of scar tissue; commonly forms after surgery.
Most common cause of small bowel obstruction, demonstrated by multiple dilated small bowel loops on x-ray
Ileus
Intestinal hypomotility without obstruction constipation and decrease flatus; distended/tympanic abdomen with decrease bowel sounds.
Associated with abdominal surgeries, opiates, hypokalemia, sepsis.
Treatment: bowel rest, electrolyte correction, cholinergic drugs (stimulate intestinal motility).
Meconium ileus
In cystic fibrosis, meconium plug obstructs intestine, preventing stool passage at birth.
Necrotizing enterocolitis
Seen in premature, formula-fed infants with immature immune system.
Necrosis of intestinal mucosa (primarily colonic) with possible perforation, which can lead to pneumatosis intestinalis, free air in abdomen, portal venous gas.
Colonic polyps
- Non-neoplastic
Hamartomatous polyps (Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and juvenile polyposis)
Mucosal polyps
Inflammatory pseudopolyps (inflammatory bowel disease)
Submucosal polyps (lipomas, leiomyomas, fibromas)
Hyperplastic polyps (Most common; in rectosigmoid)
Colonic polyps
- neoplastic
Adenomatous polyps: with mutations in APC and KRAS. Tubular histology has less malignant potential than villous.
Serrated polyps: Characterized by CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). Defect may silence MMR gene (DNA mismatch repair) expression. Mutations lead to microsatellite instability and mutations in BRAF. “Sawtooth” pattern of crypts on biopsy. Up to 20% of cases of sporadic CRC
Polyposis syndromes
- Familial adenomatous polyposis
Autosomal dominant mutation of APC 5q21.
Thousands of polyps arise starting after puberty; pancolonic; always involves rectum.
Prophylactic colectomy or else 100% progress to CRC
Polyposis syndromes
- Gardner syndrome
FAP + osseous and soft tissue tumors, congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium,
impacted/supernumerary teeth.
Polyposis syndromes
- Turcot syndrome
FAP/Lynch syndrome + malignant CNS tumor (eg, medulloblastoma, glioma). Turcot = Turban
Polyposis syndromes
- Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
Autosomal dominant syndrome.
Numerous hamartomas throughout GI tract, along with
hyperpigmented mouth, lips, hands, genitalia.
Associated with risk of breast and GI cancers (eg,
colorectal, stomach, small bowel, pancreatic).
Polyposis syndromes
- Juvenile polyposis syndrome
Autosomal dominant syndrome in children (typically < 5 years old).
Featuring numerous hamartomatous polyps in the colon, stomach, small bowel. Associated with risk of CRC.
Polyposis syndromes
- Lynch syndrome
hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).
Autosomal dominant mutation of DNA mismatch repair genes with subsequent microsatellite instability.
∼ 80% progress to CRC. Proximal colon is always involved. Associated with endometrial, ovarian, and
skin cancers.
Colorectal cancer
- Epidemiology
- Risk factors
Most patients are > 50 years old. ~ 25% have a family history.
Adenomatous and serrated polyps, familial cancer syndromes, IBD, tobacco use, diet of processed meat with low fiber.
Colorectal cancer
- Ascending
- Descending
- Rectosigmoid > ascending > descending.
Exophytic mass, iron deficiency anemia, weight loss.
Infiltrating mass, partial obstruction, colicky pain, hematochezia.
*Rarely, presents with S bovis (gallolyticus) bacteremia.
Colorectal cancer
- Diagnosis
Screen low-risk patients starting at age 50 with
colonoscopy. alternatives include flexible sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), and CT colonography.
“Apple core” lesion seen on barium enema x-ray.
CEA tumor marker: good for monitoring recurrence.
Molecular pathogenesis of colorectal cancer
Chromosomal instability pathway: mutations in APC cause FAP and most sporadic CRC (via adenoma-carcinoma sequence AK-53) APC KRAS P53
Microsatellite instability pathway: mutations or methylation of mismatch repair genes (eg, MLH1) cause Lynch syndrome and some sporadic CRC (via serrated polyp pathway).
*Overexpression of COX-2 has been linked to colorectal cancer
Cirrhosis
- Etiologies
alcohol, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, chronic viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, biliary disease, genetic/metabolic disorders.