General Surgery Flashcards
What does Boas sign indicate?
cholecystitis
Risk factors for abdominal hernias:
- obesity
- ascites
- increasing age
- surgical wounds
Features of abdominal hernias:
- palpable lump
- cough impulse
- pain
- obstruction: more common in females
- strangulation: may compromise bowel blood supply leading to infarction
Inguinal hernia:
- 75% of abdominal wall hernias
- 95% male
- men have 25% risk of developing inguinal hernia
- above and medial to pubic tubercle
- strangulation rare
Femoral hernia:
- below and lateral to pubic tubercle
- more common in women (especially multiparous)
- high risk obstruction and strangulation
- surgical repair required
Umbilical hernia:
symmetrical bulge under umbilicus
Paraumbilical hernia:
- asymmetrical bulge
- half sac is covered by skin of abdomen directly above or below ubilicus
Epigastric hernia:
- lump in midline between umbilicus and xiphisternum
- most common in men 20-30yo
Incisional hernia:
up to 10% of abdominal surgery
Spigelian hernia:
- also lateral ventral hernia
- rare
- older patients
- hernia through spigelian fascia (aponeurotic layer between rectus abdomens muscle medially and semilunar line laterally)
Obturator hernia:
- through obturator foramen
- more common in females
- presents with bowel obstruction
Richter hernia:
- rare
- only anti mesenteric border of bowel herniates through fascial defect
- can present with strangulation symptoms without symptoms of obstruction
Abdominal hernias in children:
- congenital inguinal
- infantile umbilical
Congenital inguinal hernia:
- indirect
- from patent processus vaginalis
- 1% term babies (more common preterm)
- 60% right sided
- surgically repaired asap as at risk of incarceration
Infantile umbilical hernia:
- symmetrical bulge under umbilicus
- more common in premature and afro-caribbean
- resolve without intervention before 4-5years
- complications rare
Features and treatment of fissures in ano:
- painful, bright red rectal bleeding
- stool softeners, topical diltiazem or GTN, botulinum toxin, sphincterotomy
Features and treatment of haemorrhoids:
- painless, bright red rectal bleeding following defecation
- stool softeners, avoids straining, surgery
Features and treatment of fistula in ano:
- abscess then persisting discharge onto perineum
- lay open if low, no sphincter or IBD - if complex, high or IBD - insert seton and consider other options
Features and treatment of peri anal abscess:
- peri anal swelling and surrounding erythema
- incision and drainage, leave cavity open to heal by secondary intention
Features and treatment of pruritus ani:
- peri anal itching, occasional mild bleeding
- avoid scented products, wet wipes, avoidance of scratching
Surgical treatment of haemorrhoids:
- stapled haemorrhoidopexy (does not address skin tags)
- large with substantial external component: Milligan Morgan style conventional haemorrhoidectomy
What is seborrhoeic keratosis?
- > 50yo, idiopathic
- multiple lesions over face and trunk
- flat, raised, filiform and pedunculate subtypes
- variable colours and surface may have greasy scale
- leave alone or simple shave excision
Types of melanocytic naevi:
- congenital melanocytic naevi
- junctional melanocytic naevi
- compound naevi
- spitz naevus
- atypical naves syndrome
What is congenital melanocytic naevi?
- typically at or soon after birth
- usually >1cm
- increased risk of malignant transformation (greatest for large lesions)
What are junctional melanocytic naevi?
- circular macules
- heterogenous colour even within same lesion
- most naevi of palms, soles and mucous membranes
What are compound naevi?
- domed pigmented nodules up to 1cm diameter
- arise from junctional naevi, usually uniform colour and smooth
What is a spitz naevus?
- develop over few months in children
- may be pink or red in colour, most common on face and legs
- up to 1cm and growth can be rapid, usually excision
What is atypical naevus syndrome?
- atypical melanocytic naevi that may be autosomal dominantly inherited
- some at increased risk melanoma (mutations CDKN2A gene)
- many people with atypical naevus syndrome AND parent sibling with melanoma will develop melanoma
What are epidermoid cysts?
- common and affect face and trunk
- central puncture, small quantities sebum
- cyst lining either normal epidermis (epidermoid) or outer root sheath of hair follicle (pilar cyst)
What is a dermatofibroma?
- solitary dermal nodules
- extremities of young adults
- lesions feel larger than they appear
- proliferating fibroblasts merging with sparsely cellular dermal tissues
Painful skin lesions:
- eccrine spiradenoma
- neuroma
- glomus tumour
- leimyoma
- angiolipoma
- neurofibroma (rarely painful) and dermatofibroma (rarely painful)
What are adalimumab, infliximab and etanercept and what are they used for?
- TNF alpha inhibitors
- Crohns
- RA
What is bevacizumab and what is it used for?
- anti VEGF
- CRC
- renal
- gioblastoma
What is trastuzumab and what is it used for?
- targets HER receptor
- breast cancer
What is imatinib and what is it used for?
- tyrosine kinase inhibitor
- GI stromal tumours
- chronic myeloid leukaemia
What is basiliximab and what is it used for?
- targets IL2 binding site
- renal transplants
What is cetuximab and what is it used for?
- epidermal growth factor inhibitor
- EGF positive CRC
What is thyroid peroxidase antibodies assay used for?
autoimmune disease affecting thyroid
- Hashimotos
- Graves
What are the antibodies to TSH receptor assay used for?
individuals with Graves disease
What is the thyroglobulin antibodies assay used for?
- not useful for distinguishing between thyroid disease
- thyroid cancer follow up
What is calcitonin assay used for?
- released from parafollicular cells
- patients with medullary carcinoma of thyroid
What is cryptorchidism?
- congenital undescended testis
- failed to reach bottom of scrotum by 3 months
- 5% at birth
Congenital defects associated with cryptorchidism:
- patent processus vaginalis
- abnormal epididymis
- cerebral palsy
- mental retardation
- Wilms tumour
- abdominal wall defects (e.g. gastroschisis, prune belly syndrome)
Reasons for correction of cryptorchidism:
- reduce risk of infertility
- allows testes to be examined for testicular cancer (40 times as likely to develop seminomas)
- avoid testicular torsion
- cosmetic appearance
Treatment cryptorchidism:
- orchidopexy at 6-18 months
- inguinal exploration, mobilisation of testis and implantation into dartos pouch
- intra abdominal testis - laparoscopically evaluated and mobilised
What is Scheuermann’s disease?
- epiphysitis of vertebral joints
- predominantly adolescents
- back pain and stiffness
- x-ray: epiphyseal plate disturbance and anterior wedging
- progressive kyphosis
- minor cases: physio and analgesia
- surgical stabilisation and bracing
Types of structural scoliosis:
- idiopathic
- congenital
- neuromuscular
What is spina bifida?
- non fusion of vertebral arches during embryonic development
- categories: myelomeningocele, spina bifida, occulta and meningocele
- myelomeningocele most severe associated with neuro defects
- spina bifida occulta: birth mark/hair patch
- incidence reduced by folic acid during pregnancy