GI Flashcards
What are the circular folds of mucosa in the jejenum called?
Plicae circulares, increase SA for absorption
Where in the GI tract has somatic control?
Mouth and first 1/3rd oesophagus, and last sphincter of the anus
Which plexuses of the autonomic nervous system control the GI tract?
Submucosal plexus and the myenteric plexus.
What is dysphagia?
Difficulty swallowing
Either due to neurological deficit or musculature problems/ obstruction of oesophagus
What are the regions of the stomach?
Cardia, fundus, body, antrum and pylorum
What is the normal epithelium of the oesophagus?
Stratified squamous
What is Barrett’s oesophagus?
Chronic reflux of acidic stomach contents causing metaplasia of oesophagus mucosa from stratified squamous to gastric columnar.
This can predispose to adenocarcinoma within the oesophagus.
Via which veins does blood normally drain from the oesophagus?
Via left gastric into the portal venous system, and via azygos vein to the systemic system.
Which mechanism of the lower oesophageal sphincter prevent reflux of stomach contents?
- acute angle of entry
- mucosal folds at end of oesophagus
- higher abdominal pressure than thoracic pressure
- right crus of the diaphragm acts as a sling round the oesophagus
If an ulcer erodes posteriorly through the first part of the duodenum, what can be damaged?
Gastroduodenal artery
Can haemorrhage and result in haematemesis and malaena
Which part of the GI tract absorbs the majority of fluid?
Small intestine (approx 12.5l while larger intestine absorbs approx 1.35l)
What is the dentate (penctinate) line?
Junction in the anal canal with columnar epithelia above and stratified squamous epithelia below. Hence above dentate line can get adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma below.
What is Meckel’s diverticulum?
Remnant of embryonic Vitelline duct, bulging from ilium. Causes bleeding and inflammation. Rule of 2s (2 inches long, 2 ft from iliocaecal valve, 2% of population).
What are some functions of saliva?
Speaking Antimicrobial Oral hygiene Lubricates food Begins digestion of carbohydrates Enables taste Disease transmission
What is the clinical term for a dry mouth, and how does it present?
Xerostomia:
Red inflamed tongue, sore lips, difficulty breathing, less taste
Due to insufficient salvia production
What are the components of saliva?
Mostly water (hypotonic solution) K+ and bicarbonate (alkaline compared to plasma) Mucus Enzymes eg amylase Immune proteins eg lysozyme, IgA
What are the 3 paired salivary glands?
Submandibular (secretes most volume, both serous and viscous)
Parotid (serous salvia, rich in enzymes but little mucus)
Sublingual (viscous salvia, rich in mucus but little enzymes)
What is the mechanism of saliva secretion?
Saliva is hypotonic, but no mechanism for water secretion.
So, acinar cells secrete water, mucus and enzymes (isotonic to plasma)
Ductal cells modify solution by reabsorbing Na and Cl out of saliva, and insert HCO3- & K+
Tights junctions means water cannot be reabsorbed too
(Net effect is hypotonic salvia as more Na & Cl out than HCO3- & K+ in)
What is the neural control of salivary glands?
Mainly stimulated by parasympathetic (increase saliva production), but also slight sympathetic stimulation (reduces blood flow, less salvia, nervous dry mouth)
Parotid by glossopharyngeal nerve (9th cranial nerve), submandibular & sublingual by branches of facial nerve.
No hormonal influence, only ANS.
How does high flow rate of saliva affect its composition?
Fast flow rate = less modification, except bicarbonate that gets secreted at great quantities at higher flow rate
So saliva would have more Na, Cl and HCO3- but less K+. Hence saliva becomes less hypotonic but more alkaline!!!
What are the 3 phases of swallowing?
- Oral (voluntary)
Tongue pushes bolus to pharynx - Pharyngeal (involuntary)
Soft palate seals off nasopharynx, epiglottitis shuts, vocal cords adduct, breathing temporarily stops, upper oesophageal sphincter opens - Oesophageal (involuntary)
Peristalsis sweeps bolus down oesophagus to stomach
Upper oesophageal sphincter shuts & lower sphincter opens
What are the terms for dysphagia for solids and dysphagia for fluids.
Difficulty swallowing foods = oesophageal dysphagia
Difficulty swallowing liquids = oropharyngeal dysphagia
What are the layers of the abdominal wall?
Rectus abdominis and external obliques -> internal obliques -> transversalis abdominis -> transversalis fascia -> peritoneum
What is the arcuate (douglas’s) line?
1/3rd from the umbilicus to pubic symphysis. Represents when sheath is only anterior
Where is an incision for an appendicectomy done?
At McBurney’s point, 2/3rds from the umbilicus to ASIS via a grid iron incision
What is a patent urachus?
When allantois remains open, forming an open channel between bladder and umbilicus.
Can present at birth or later in life in men which bladder outflow obstruction/ prostatic hypertrophy that will increase bladder pressure and force urine out of umbilicus.
What is the difference between exampholos and gastroschisis?
Both are umbilical defects.
Exampholos is when the viscera is covered by peritoneum and amnion. Gastroschisis is when viscera is not covered. Gastroschisis is the the right of the umbilicus.
What causes visceral pain?
Stretch, ischamia, abnormally strong muscle contraction, inflammation.
NOT touch/burning/crushing.
Where is visceral pain from the foregut, midgut and hindgut felt?
Foregut: epigastric
Midgut: periumbilical
Hindgut: suprapubic
What are the borders of the inguinal canal?
Floor = inguinal ligament (& lacunae ligament medially) Posterior = transversalis fascia Anterior = aponeurosis of external oblique Roof = internal oblique/ transversalis muscle
Failure of which embryonic structure to degenerate can lead to an indirect inguinal hernia?
Processus vaginalis
What is the different between the mid point of the inguinal ligament and the mid inguinal point?
Mid point of inguinal ligament = from ASIS to pubic tubercle
Mic inguinal point = ASIS to pubic symphysis (femoral artery just below)
What are the borders of Hesselbachs triangle?
Medial = rectus abdominis Lateral = epigastric vessels Floor = inguinal ligament
Which type of inguinal hernia begins medial to the epigastric vessels?
Direct
What is the difference between indirect and direct inguinal hernias?
Direct is through weakness in Hesselbachs triangle, near superficial ring, medial to epigastric vessels
Indirect is lateral to inferior epigastric vessels, through deep then superficial rings
What is the difference between the terms incarcerated and strangulated?
Incarcerated means irreducible, stuck
Strangulated means blood supply is disrupted and can lead to necrosis
What are the greater and lesser omentum?
Omentum is a double layer of peritoneum that attaches the stomach to another viscus.
Greater omentum from greater curvature like an apron
Lesser omentum from lesser curvature to liver (forms hepatoduodenal ligament at its free edge)
What are the branches of the coeliac trunk?
Left gastric, splenic and common hepatic
Stomach is supplied by all 3!!!
Describe the blood supply to the stomach
L gastric artery for coeliac trunk runs along lesser curvature and anastomoses to R gastric artery which branches from common hepatic (from coeliac trunk).
R gastro-omental (terminal branch of gastroduodenal from common hepatic a.) along greater curvature anastomoses with L gastro-omental (branch of splenic a.)
What are sliding and rolling hiatus hernias?
Sliding is when lower oesophageal sphincter slide superior (more common and cause reflux!)
Rolling is when part of stomach herniates into chest
What separates the supra and infra colic regions?
Transverse mesocolon
A gastric ulcer would rupture which artery compared to a duodenal ulcer?
Gastric ulcer would rupture splenic artery
Duodenal artery would rupture gastroduodenal artery
What is the passage between the greater and lesser sac known as?
Epiploic foramen
How is HCl secretion controlled?
Parietal cell is stimulated by:
- gastrin from G cells
- histamine from ECL cells
- ACh from parasympathetic stimulation via vagus nerve
How is HCl production inhibited?
Food leaves stomach causing its pH to drop, low pH activates D cells to produce somatostatin which inhibits G cells
Food leaving also reduces stomach distension so vagal activity is reduced
What is the first phase of digestion?
Cephalic
Smell and taste of food will stimulate parietal cell by vagal nerve (parasympathetic stimulation)
What is the second phase of digestion?
Gastric
Distension of stomach due to food stimulates parietal and G cells
Presence of AA and small peptides stimulates G cells
Food acts as a buffer to remove inhibition of gastrin production
What is the third phase of digestion?
Intestinal
Chyme initially stimulates gastrin secretion
Overtaken by inhibition of G cells ( presence of lipids activates enterogastric reflex, reduces vagal stimulation )
Chyme stimulates secretin and CCK
How is the stomach itself protected from the acidic conditions?
Mucous cells secrete mucus to form thick alkaline layer
Prostaglandins maintain mucosal blood flow
Also high turnover of epithelial cells
What can breach stomach defences?
- alcohol dissolves mucus layer
- NSAIDS inhibit prostaglandin
- H pylori causes chronic gastritis
What pharmacological intervention can be used to reduce stomach acid secretion?
PPIs eg Omeprazole H2 antagonists (block affect of histamine) eg ranitidine
What is the different between the foregut, midgut and hindgut in terms of mesentery?
Forget has both ventral and dorsal mesentery
Mid but and hindgut only have dorsal mesentery
How does the liver attach to the anterior abdominal wall?
Falciform ligament
(remnant of ventral mesentery of foregut, also separates right and left lobes)
Falciform ligament branches into R&L coronary ligaments (attach liver to diaphragm) then reflects into R&L triangular ligaments
What lies within the free edge of the lesser omentum?
(Free edge forms because only the forgot has ventral mesentery hence free edge below where midgut and hindgut do not have this ventral mesentery)
Portal vein
Common bile duct
Hepatic artery
Is the duodenum retroperitoneal?
First part is intra peritoneal
Rest of it is retroperitoneal
Is the duodenum in the foregut or midgut?
First half in foregut
Second half in midgut
What are the divisions of the biliary tree?
At liver, R&L hepatic ducts converge to form common hepatic duct. Cystic duct connects to gallbladder from common hepatic duct.
Common hepatic duct then becomes the common bile duct, where the pancreatic duct later joins into.
What anatomical structure determines the control of secretions from the biliary tree into the duodenum?
Sphincter of Oddi
What is Zollinger Ellison syndrome?
Non-beta islet cell gastrin secreting tumour of the pancreas that stimulates proliferation of stomachs parietal cells, hence a high acid production.
What are some causes of acute gastritis?
Alcohol
NSAIDs
Chemotherapy
Bile reflux
What are causes of chronic gastritis?
- Helicobacter pylori infection
- Autoimmune (antibodies attack parietal cells, can lead to pernicious anaemia in which intrinsic factor cannot be produced so vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed)