GI Flashcards
What is coeliac disease?
Inflammation of the mucosa of the upper small bowel in response to gluten
Which part of the GIT does coeliac affect?
Duodenum
What substance is gluten broken down into as it crosses the luminal enterocytes?
Gliadin
What enzyme deaminates gliadin?
Transglutaminase
What produces the pro-inflammatory cytokines in coeliac?
Gluten sensitive CD4+ tcells
What changes occur to the bowel as a result of coeliac?
Villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia.
What does villous atrophy cause?
Malabsorption
Clinical presentation of coeliac disease
Steatorrhoea, stinking stools, weight loss, fatigue, diarrhoea, abdo pain, bloating, nausea and vomiting
Signs of coeliac disease?
Aphthous ulcers, angular stomatitis, osteomalacia, failure to thrive.
Raised red patches of skin with blisters that burst with scratching, anaemia
What are the first-line investigations for coeliac?
IgA tissue transglutaminase, and EMA
What is the gold standard investigation for coeliac disease?
Dudonal biopsy endoscopically
What findings are there in coeliac on a duodenal biopsy?
Villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, increased epithelial WBC’s
How do you manage coeliac disease?
Lifelong gluten free diet and correct vitamin deficiency
Which part of the GIT does ulcerative colitis affect?
Large bowel only
To which level does the inflam reach in UC?
Mucosa only inflamed
What are the characteristics of inflammation in UC>
Circumferential and contiuous with no skip lesions
What else is sometiems seen in UC alongside the inflam?
Ulcers and pseudopolyps, crypt abscesses and depleted goblet cells
Which part of the GIT does crohns affect?
Any part from the mouth to the anus.
Which parts of the GIT does crohns most commonly affect>
Terminal ileum and proximal colon
What layers of the bowel does crohns affect?
Can affect all layers, is transmural
What are the characteristic sof inflammation on crohns?
Non-continuous skip lesions, cobblestone appearance with ulcers and fissure in mucosa.
What is the cause of ulcerative collitis>
Inappropriate immune response against colonic flora in genetically susceptible individuals
What are risk factors for UC?
Family hostory, NSAIDS, Chronic stress and depression
What is the epidemiology of UC?
Northern european and north american; males and females affected equally, presentation between 20-40 years
What are the symptoms of UC?
pattern of remission and exacerbations, abdominal pain in the lower left quadrant, episodic or chronic diarrhoea
Blood or mucus in stool.
Signs of UC?
Fever, tacchycardia, tender distended abdomen in acute
Clubbing, oral ulcers, nutritional deficits
What are the skin and colon complications of UC?
Blood loss, perforation, toxic dilation, colorectal cancer Erythema nodosum (tender red bumps and pyoderma gangrenosum (painful ulcers on the skin
Joint, liver and eye complications of UC?
Joints: AS, arthritis
Eyes: iritis, uveitis, episcleritis
liver: fatty change, chronic pericholangitis, sclerosing cholangitis.
Blood test results for UC
Raised white cells, raised platelets, raised CRP and ESR. May show normocytic anaemia of chronic disease
Why are stool samples taken in UC?
To exclude c.diff, campylobacter and others
What is faecal calprotectin?
An inflammatory marker in the stool, indicates inflammatory bowel disease if raised but can’t differentiate between UC and Crohn’s
What is the gold standard investigation for UC?
Sigmoidoscopy with biopsy, full colonoscopy may be done to define extent.
What is an aminosalicyclate?
It aims to reduce inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandins and is used first line to treat UC
Sulfasalazine
What is used seocnd line in mild/moderate UC if they don’t respond to 5-ASA’s?
Oral prednisolone
What would you use in severe cases of UC?
IV hydrocortisone, ciclosporin, infliximab
What would you do in seveer UC with no response to treatment?
Colectomy with the whole colon removed.
What are the risk factors for crohns?
FH, Smoking, NSAIDS, chronic stress and depression
What populations are more likely to be affected with Crohn’s?
Northern european and north america, femals and between 20-40 years.
If crohns affects the small bowel what clinical symptoms are commonly seen?
Abdopain and weight loss, right iliac fossa pain mimicking appendicitis
If crohns affects the colon which symptoms are more likely to be seen?
Bloody diarrhoea, urgency, pain on defecation.
Signs of crohn’s dsease
Bowel ulceration, abdo tenderness, abdomass, perianal disease
Extraintestinal signs of crohns?
CLubbing, oral apthous ulcers, skin, joint and eye problems
Complications of crohns
Malabsorption, abscess formation, fistula formation, colorectal cancer, anaemia, perianal disease.
What would blood tests show for crohn’s?
Raised WCC, raised platelets, raised CRP and ESR, abnormal liver biochem, anaemia
Which antibody will defintely be negative in crohns?
pANCA negative
What’s the gold standard investigation for Crohns?
colonoscopy with biopsy
First line treatment of crohns?
Oral prednisolone, smoking cessation, correct nutritional deficiencies.
Management of crohns if its not responding to steroids?
Anti-TNF (infliximab)
Which drugs to maintain remission of crohns?
AzathioprIne
What is IBS?
Mixed group of abdominal symptoms with no organic cause
Whats the average age of onset for ibs?
under 40 years
What are the risk factors for IBS?
GI infections, previous severe long term diarrhoea, anxiety and depression, psychological stress, trauma, abuse, eating disorders
What ar ethe 3 types of IBS?
IBS-c, IBS-D, IBS-M
When do you consider IBS?
Abdominal pain/discomfort; Bloating and change in bowel habit
How do you diagnose IBS?
Abdominal pain/discomfort associated with: Relieved by defecation, altered stool form, altered bowel frequency.
What other multisystem associations are there with IBS?
Painful periods, bladder symptoms, back pain, joint hypermobility, fatigue, nausea.
What are differential diagnoses for IBS?
COeliac disease, lactose intolerance, bile acid malabsorption, IBD, colorectal cancer, GI infection
What are the red flag symptoms for colon cancer?
Unexplained weight loss, bleeding on defecation, abdo/rectal mass, anaemia, raised inflam markers, FH, aged over 50.
What investigations would you do in IBS?
FBC, anaemia; ESR and CRP for inflam, tTG/EMA for coeliac disease
Faecal calprotectin is raised in IBD
How to manage mild IBS?
Education and reassurance, dietary modification, avoid FODMAPS
What drugs are used for pain and bloating in IBS?
Antispasmodics, mebeverine and buscopan
Loperamide for diarrhoea
Macrogol, docusate and senna for constipation.
If the IBS doesnt improve with diet and other changes what next?
TCA’s, amytriptaline or SSRI’s
What’s the most common age to have appendicitis?
10-20
Where is the appendix located?
McBurney’s point
Where in the abdomen is mcBurney’s point?
2/3 of the way from the umbilicus to the ASIS
Why does appendicitis occur?
Obstruction within the appendix
Why does obstruction lead to appendicitis?
Obstruction results in the invasion of gut organisms into the appendix wall. This leads to inflammation, necrosis and eventually perforation
What can cause an obstruction in the appendix?
Faecoliths (hard mass of faeces), foreign bodies, trauma, intestinal worms, lymphoid hyperplasia.
How does appendicitis present?
Early pain around the umbilicus that migrates to the right iliac fossa
Other symptoms of appendicitis?
Guarding, pyrexia, nausea and vomiting.
Differential diagnoses for appendicitis?
Acute crohns disease, ectopic pregnancy, UTI, diverticulitiis, perforated ulcer, constipation, food poisoning
Whats the gold standard test for appendicitis>
CT scan
Other investigations for appendicitis?
raised WCC, raised CRP and ESR.
Ultrasound
Pregnancy test to exclude
Urinalysis to exclude UTI
Managment of acute appendicitis
Appendicectmy, IV antibiotics pre and post op