GI Flashcards
What are the symptoms for an upper GI pathology?
Dysphasia
Pain – chest/retrosternal/back (Between scapular)/upper Abdomen
Vomiting
Heartburn
Indigestion
Regurgitation – bending or lying down worse
Acid taste in mouth and bad breath
Hoarseness/chronic cough
Belching
Haematemesis/Melaena
What are causes of GI problems?
Smoking
Alcohol consumption
Stroke motor neuron disease – MND
Ageing process
Trauma
Stress
Congenital
H.PYLORI
What is a diverticulum and why does it occur?
A diverticulum is an outward protruding pouch – it can occur anywhere in the GI
It happens of the result of a weakness in the lining
What are the two places we have seen at diverticulum in our image during classes?
Oesophageal and gastric
What is an achalasia?
what does it cause?
Is the inability of sphincter at the end of oesophagus to relax and open
which causes regurgitation of food and chest pain
How does an achalasia present radiographically?
Birds beak - on Ba swallow
What is the treatment of an achalasia and what could be the result of not treating it?
Can be treated with dilation or Botox
If not treated can result in aspiration pneumonia
What is the cause of a achalasia and how is it diagnosed?
Cause is largely unknown
diagnosis is usually by endoscopy or Ba swallow 
What are the symptoms of oesophageal carcinoma?
Burning/pain and throat
Food sticking in oesophagus
Hoarseness/cough
Weight loss

What are the risk factors and prognosis of oesophageal carcinoma?
The risk factors – high BMI, smoking, alcohol
Poor prognosis
What are the radiological Perative of a gastric carcinoma?
What is a hiatus hernia?
Protrusion of part of the stomach through the oesophageal opening – hiatus – in the diaphragm into the chest cavity
What is the incidence of a hiatus hernia?
Comments – seen in 60% of people by age 60
What would cause a hiatus hernia to weaken and enlarge?
Obesity
Exercising – weightlifting
Straining to defecate
Family predisposition
Smoking
Pregnancy
How does a hiatus hernia percent radiologically?
What is a gastric polyp and what may be the risk of having large polyps?
Abnormal growth of cells in epitheal lining of the stomach
large ones can bleed – anaemia
How do gastric polyps present radiologically?
Protrude inwards – or as a radiolucent filling defects on Ba studies
What is a peptic ulcer and where are they found?
A break/store on the lining of the stomach – much like mouth ulcer
Stomach (gastric ulcer) or duodenum (duodenal ulcer)
What is the aetiology of a peptic ulcer?
Unknown
But must be something which affects maintenance of healthy mucosa – allowing gastric juice to access epithelium causing additional damage that leads to a situation – possibly H.pylori bacterium
What are the risk factors of a peptic ulcer?
Gastric ulcer 40– 80 years
Duodenum ulcer 20–60 years
F > M
What are oesophageal varices?
Dilated blood vessels that develop as a complication of portal hypertension - usually in the setting of cirrhosis the major cause of which is alcoholic liver disease
What is the risk of a oesophageal vairices that enlarges overtime and what are the symptoms of this?
enlarge overtime, can rupture causing life threatening haemorrhage
Symptoms would be:
Vomiting blood
Black, tarry or bloody stools
Lightheadedness
Loss of consciousness – in severe cases
How do oesophageal vairicies present radiologically?
