General Surgery (Hepatobiliary) Flashcards
What are Simple Liver Cysts?
Fluid filled epithelial sacs (most commonly in right lobe of liver) Thought to be congenitally malformed bile ducts
Describe 3 symptoms of Simple Liver Cysts
Abdominal Pain Nausea Vomiting
What investigations should be carried out if you suspected Liver Cysts?
USS (well defined, thin walled) LFTs may be normal
How would you manage Simple Liver Cysts?
Most require no intervention For Cysts>4cm use follow up scans If symptomatic then US Guided Aspiration/Laroscopic Deroofing
Define Polycystic Liver Disease
Presence of more than 20 cysts in the parenchyma of the liver (each one more than 1cm wide)
Describe the two causes of Polycystic Liver DIsease
ADPKD (60% patients have liver cysts) ADPLD (Chromosome 6 or 19 mutations, generally not related to renal disease)
Describe 3 clinical features of Polycystic Liver Disease
Majority are asymptomatic Abdominal Pain as cysts grow Hepatomegaly
The management of Polycystic Liver Disease is generally the same as Simple Liver Cysts. However what extra pharmacological intervention can be tried?
Somatostatin Analogues such as Octreotide may help decrease Cyst Volume
Describe how USS can help differentiate between the different types of Liver Cysts
Malignancy - Septations, Nodularity Abscess - Debris within lesion Hyatid - Calcification
What are Hyatid Cysts?
Infection by tapeworm Eggs are passed faeco-orally and pass into the hepatic portal system where they form cysts
How would you manage Hyatid Cysts?
Aspiration not recommended (rupture can causes anaphylaxis) Cystic Deroofing and Anti-Parasitics
Describe the pathophysiology of Liver Abscesses
Typically from bacterial infection spreading from Biliary/GI Tract either via Contiguous Spread or seeding from Portal/Hepatic Veins Typical Organisms include E.Coli and Klebsiella Pneumoniae
Describe 5 clinical features of Liver Abscesses
Fevers Rigors Abdominal Pain Bloating Ruptured - Shock
Describe 3 possible investigations for Liver Abscesses and what they would show
FBC - Leucocytosis LFTs - Raised ALP, Deranged ALT and Bilirubin USS - Poorly defined lesions with potential gas bubbles
Describe three managements of Liver Abscesses
Antibiotics Ultrasound/CT Guided Drainage Surgery only if ruptured
What is an Amoebic Abscess?
Most common extra-intestinal manifestation of Entomoeba Histiolytica (from spread via portal system)
Describe two pharmacological agents used to treat Amoebic Abscesses
Metronidazole Paromycin (Eradicates amoebiasis in colon)
Give 3 causes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Viral Hepatitis Chronic Alcoholism Hereditary Haemachromatoses
Describe the results of Lab Investigations for suspected Liver Cancer
Deranged LFTs Decreased Synthetic Function Raised AFP
What is diagnostic of Liver Cancer?
USS showing mass of >2cm along with raised AFP
What is the staging tool of Liver Cancer called?
Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer
Give two prognostic scores of Cirrhosis
Childs-Pugh Score (serum bilirubin, INR, albumin, ascites, encephalopathy) MELD (creatinine, bilirubin, INR, sodium)
Describe the two surgical managements of Liver Cancer
Resection (patients without cirrhosis and a good baseline cirrhosis) Transplantation (have to fulfill the Milan Criteria - no extrahepatic manifestations/no vascular infiltrations)
Describe three non surgical managements of Liver Cancer
Image Guided Ablation (US waves initiate necrosis) Alcohol Ablation (injection of alcohol destroys small tumours) Transarterial Chemoembolisation (chemo injected into hepatic artery along with embolising agent to reduce ischaemia)
Why are needle biopsies not recommended in Liver Cancer
Risk of seeding
State 5 malignancies commonly metastasising to the Liver
Bowel Breast Pancreas Stomach Lung
How can Acute Pancreatitis be distinguished from Chronic
Limited damage to secretory function of gland No gross structural damage
Using the mnemonic ‘GET SMASHED’ to describe the causes of Acute Pancreatitis
Gallstones, Ethanol, Trauma Steroids, Mumps, Autoimmune, Scorption venom, Hypercalcaemia, ERCP, Drugs (NSAIDS, Azathioprine)
In 4 steps describe the pathophysiology of Acute Pancreatitis
-Premature and exaggerated activation of digestive enzymes -Inflammatory response (Increasing vascular permeability and fluid loss) - Pancreatic enzymes cause fat autodigestion - Free fatty acids react with calcium to form chalky deposits and hypocalcaemia
Give 4 clinical features of Acute Pancreatitis
- Severe Epigastric Pain radiating to the back
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Guarding
- Cullen & Grey Turners
Give 3 differentials for Acute Pancreatitis
- AAA
- Aortic Dissection
- Duodenal Ulcer
Describe the serum marker of Pancreatitis
Serum Amylase raised three times the upper limit of normal
what laboratory tests would you do for acute pancreatits?
- Serum amylase
- LFTs
- Serum lipase - more accurate for pamcreatitis but not routinely done
Give 3 causes (other than Pancreatitis) of raised Serum Amylase
- Bowel Perforation
- DKA
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- mesenteric ischaemia
what imaging can be done in acute pancreatitis?
Abdominal USS - if underlying cause is unknown - can look for gallstones
CT abdomen with contrast - if bloods/clinical assessment are inconclusive (will show oedema and swelling if performed in first 48 hours)
How is the severity of Acute Pancreatitis scored?
modified Glasgow Criteria - used within 1st 48 hours of admission >3 = severe
PANCREAS (pO2, Age, Neutrophils, Calcium, Renal function, Enzymes, Albumin, Sugar)
Managements of Acute Pancreatitis
No curative management
Treat underlying cause
High flow oxygen
IV fluids
NG tube - if vomiting profusely
Catheterisation & fluid chart
Opiods
when are antibiotics used in acute pancreatitis and which one?
Broad spectrum - Imipenem
Prophylaxis against infection in cases of conformed pancreatic necrosis - shown to decarease mortality
Systemic complications of Acute Pancreatitis
- DIC
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
- Hypocalcaemia
- Hyperglycaemia
- Hypovolemic shock and multiorgan failure
describe 2 local complications of Acute Pancreatitis
Pancreatic Necrosis - ongoing inflammation leads to ischaemic infacrtion of pancreas, prone to infection - suspect in patients with persistent systemic inflammation for more than 7-10 days after onset
Pancreatic Pseudocyst - collection of fluid containing pancreatic enzymes, blood and necrotic tissue, incidental finding or present with symptoms of mass effect ie biliart obstruction