GI 2 Flashcards
What are the three parts of the small intestine?
Duodenum
Jejunum
Ileum
What is the aetiology of coeliac disease?
Autoimmune condition where APC in the small intestine take up undigested gliadin and display them on their surface.
T cells get activated and go on to activate B antibodies
What are the main symptoms of coeliac disease?
- Pale, bulky, greasy stools
- Abdominal pain
- Weight loss
- Short stature
- Weakness
- Diarrhoea
- Tummy rumbling
What are the main extra-intestinal symptoms of coeliac disease?
- Anaemia (iron and B12 malabsorption)
- Bleeding risk (malabsorption of vitamin K)
- Tingling nerves
- Skin disorders due to reaction to glucose
- Endocrine disturbances around reproduction
What are the 2 investigations done to diagnose coeliac disease?
1) Blood test :
- Antibodies for gliadin, endomysium and transglutaminase
(IgA antibodies to transglutaminase is the main test)
2) Endoscopic biopsy
- Inflamed and deranged small gut lining and loss of epithelium integrity after eating gluten
What is the treatment for coeliac disease?
- Avoid gluten
- Corticosteroids (Anti-inflammatory)
What is the dental relevance of coeliac disease?
- Malabsorption of B12 and folate leads to oral manifestations
- Vitamin K deficiency leads to bleeding
- Enamel defects can occur during amelogenesis of the permanent dentition
Crohns or UC?
- Which one is more common?
- Which one is more common in women?
- Which one presents at a younger age?
- UC
- Crohns
- Crohns
What is the tissue type that is most likely to lead to UC and Crohn’s?
HLA DRB
What is the difference in pathology between UC and Crohn’s?
Crohns: Entire bowel is affected UC: only affects the colon (mainly the rectum)
Crohns : skip lesions, affected the terminal ileum mainly and ascending colon
UC: mainly affects the anal ring and descending colon
Crohns : causes a deeper inflammation with granulomas forming UC : superficial inflammation with goblet cell depletion
What are the main symptoms of Crohns disease?
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhoea
- Decreased appetite
- Anaemia and weight loss
- Fresh blood passed through rectum
How does Crohns appear on an endoscope?
- Thickened walls with deep fissures
- Fat wrapping around bowel
- Cobble stoning of mucosa
- Excess mucus secretion
- Lumen narrowed
- Mucosal fissures
- Deep ulcers
- Fistulae
What are the 3 main Crohn’s phenotypes?
- Stricturing (gradual thickening of the intestinal wall leading to stenosis / obstruction)
- Penetrating (intestinal fistulas form between the gut and other organs (perforation out the bowel forming abnormal connections of the intestine with other organs such as bladder, vagina or skin)
- Non penetrating
What do we do to diagnose Crohns?
Biopsy Endoscopy Barium enema (skip lesions, string sign)
How do we treat Crohn’s disease?
Medical (glucocorticoids such as prednisolone) (immunomodulators such as azathioprine)
Surgically (intestinal resection if too much obstruction has occurred)