GI/Liver Flashcards
List the broad causes of liver injury.
drugs, toxins, alcohol, abnormal nutrition, infection, obstruction to bile or blood flow, autoimmune, genetic, neoplasia
Name a liver disease which can be described as ‘acute-on-chronic.’ Discuss what this term means.
fibrosis
presents with acute exacerbation plus evidence of underlying chronicity
Give the three-fold definition of cirrhosis.
diffuse process with fibrosis and nodule formation
Name two causes of acute cholestasis and describe the histology.
extrahepatic biliary obstruction and drug injury e.g. antibiotics brown bile (bilirubin) pigment +/- acute hepatitis
Ground glass cytoplasm is the specific feature of which liver disease?
hepatitis B virus
= accumulation of ‘surface antigen’
Name two causes of chronic biliary disease and describe the histology.
primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis
focal, portal predominant inflammation and fibrosis with bile duct injury; granulomas in PBC
Name three examples of genetic/deposition liver disease.
haemochromatosis (iron)
Wilson’s disease (copper)
alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
Focal liver lesions are space occupying lesions and can be split in to non-neoplastic and neoplastic. Can you give two examples of each?
non-neoplastic - developmental/degenerative e.g. cysts and inflammatory e.g. abscess
neoplastic - benign and malignany
What is the name given the commonest liver cyst? Describe it and its appearance.
Von Meyenberg complex - simple biliary hamartoma
can resemble metastases by naked eye - but no treatment is required
Name the benign and malignant neoplasms associated with:
- Liver cells
- Bile duct
- Blood vessel
- Non-liver tissue
- B = hepatocellular adenoma. M = hepatocellular carcinoma
- B = bile duct adenoma. M = cholangiocarcinoma
- B = haemangioma. M = angiosarcoma
- B = N/A. M = metastases
List the normal liver functions.
protein, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, plasma protein and enzyme synthesis, production of bile, detoxification, storage of proteins, glycogen, vitamins and metals, immune functions
What are the standard LFTs?
bilirubin (isolated might be haemolysis) AST (may also be muscle) and ALT GGT ALP (may also be bone) albumin
Describe the histological progression of fatty liver disease.
- macrovascular steatosis with lipid vacuole filling the hepatocyte cytoplasm
- steatohepatitis: neutrophils and lymphocytes surrounding hepatocytes with Mallory hyaline
- pericellular fibrosis as well as bands of fibrous tracts between portal tracts
What are the three main associations of NAFLD?
obesity, T2DM, hyperlipidaemia
What are the differences in ALT, AST, AST/ALT ratio and GGT seen in NAFLD and ALD?
ALT: NAFLD raised/N, ALD raised/N
AST: NAFLD normal, ALD raised
AST/ALT ratio: NAFLD <0.8, ALD > 1.5
GGT: NAFLD raised/N, ALD markedly raised
Discuss the clinical spectrum of alcohol liver disease.
malaise, nausea, hepatomegaly, fever, jaundice, sepsis, encephalopathy, ascites, renal failure, death
What are the four characteristic features of acute alcohol hepatitis?
hepatomegaly, fever, leucocytosis, hepatic bruit
In a newly jaundiced ALD patient, what features would make you concerned about alcohol hepatitis?
- excess alcohol within 2 months
- bilirubin > 80 umol/L for less than 2 months
- exclusion of other liver disease
- treatment of sepsis/GI bleeding
- AST < 500 (AST:ALT ratio > 1.5)
List the four main risk factors for hepatitis C.
IVDU, sexual transmission, vertical transmission, needle-stick transmission
What are the clinical signs of chronic liver disease?
stigmata: spider naevi, foetor, encephalopathy
‘synthetic dysfunction’: prolonged prothrombin time, hypoalbuminaemia
Give four signs of portal hypertension.
caput medusa
ascites
oesophageal varices
splenoemegaly (thrombocytopenia)
How is severity of liver disease assessed?
child-turcotte-pugh score: encephalopathy, ascites, bilirubin, albumin, PTTP
Discuss how MELD scores indicate prognosis of liver disease.
mild < 10
moderate 10-15
severe > 15
Describe the pathophysiology of portal hypertension leading to its clinical features.
- liver cirrhosis
- raised portal pressure - hypersplenism
- porto-systemic shunting - oesophageal varices, encephalopathy
- vasodilation (NO) - further increases portal pressure
- reduced effective circulating volume - hyperdynamic circulation
- compensatory vasopressors (RAAS, catecholamimes)
- sodium retention - ascites
- renal vasoconstriction - hepato-renal syndrome
Discuss the assessment of ascites following a diagnostic tap.
CELL COUNT
- >500 WBC/cm3 and/or >250 neutrophils/cm3 = spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
- lymphocytosis = TB or peritoneal carcinomatosis
ALBUMIN
- SAAG = serum albumin - ascitic albumin g/L
- SAAG > 11g/L = portal hypertension
How is ascites managed?
low salt diet, diuretics (spironolactone, furosemide), paracentesis, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS), liver transplant, monitor renal function and electrolytes
List 5 precipitating factors of hepatic encephalopathy. Give 3 explanations of how these lead to encephalopathy.
GI bleeding, infections, constipation, electrolyte imbalance, excess dietary protein
- Reduction of hepatic or cerebral function
- Stimulation of an inflammatory response
- Increasing ammonia levels
Describe the Conn Score for grading mental state in hepatic encephalopathy.
0: no abnormality
1: lack of awareness, euphoria or anxiety, shortened attention span
2: lethargy, subtle personality change, inappropriate behaviour, minimal disorientation for time or place
3: somnolence to semi-stupor, confusion, gross disorientation
4: coma
What is hepatitis? List some of the symptoms.
inflammation of the liver
malaise, fever, headaches, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, RUQ pain, dark urine, jaundice
Give 5 causes of acute hepatitis.
- infections e.g. Hep A-E, EBV, CMV, Q fever, syphilis, malaria
- toxins
- drugs
- alcohol
- autoimmune
How is hepatitis A diagnosed?
acute: IgM positive or RNA in blood or stool
previous or vaccinated: IgG positive
Which Hep virus is commonly spread in pork products?
E
What are the neurological manifestations of Hep E?
Guillaine Barre syndrome, encephalitis, ataxia, myopathy
What problems are associated with hepatitis B?
weight loss, abdo pain, fever, cachexia, mass in abdomen, bloody ascites, cirrhosis develops in 25%, HCC, death
What is detected during hepatitis B lab tests?
sAg - marker of infection sAb - marker of immunity cAb - core antibody eAg - suggests high infectivity eAb - suggests low infectivity HBV DNA
What treatments are available for hep B?
chronic
only treat those with liver inflammation or fibrosis
immunomodulatory - inferferon
suppress viral replication - tenofovir or entecavir
Which virus does Hep D require to replicate?
Hep B
Discuss HCV diagnosis through screening and blood tests.
most diagnosed by screening of high risk groups - drug users, immigrants to UK from high prevalence countries
- anti HCV IgG +ve = chronic or cleared infection
- PCR or antigen +ve = current infection
What treatment is available for HCV?
direct acting antiviral inhibits different stages of the replication cycle
Acute cholecystitis is initiated by stone obstruction of cystic duct causing supersaturation of bile and chemical irritation. What symptoms will this lead to?
severe RUQ pain, tenderness and fever
Leucocytosis and normal serum amylase are blood results of which acute condition?
cholecystitis.
Acute pancreatitis is most commonly caused by gallstone, alcohol abuse, trauma/ERCP, drugs etc. How does it present?
severe upper abdo pain, fever, leucocytosis, raised serum amylase
What are potential complications of acute pancreatitis?
pancreatic abscess
pseudocyst
How would you manage a pancreatic abscess?
drainage or necrosectomy plus antibiotics
List some differentials of pancreatic cysts.
- Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm
- Mucinous cystic neoplasm (‘ovarian-type’ stroma)
- Serous cystadenoma
What is the 5 year survival rate of pancreatic cancer?
7%
What are the risk factors to develop pancreatic cancer?
smoking
alcohol
germline mutations e.g. BRCA
Discuss the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
- painless obstructive jaundice
- new onset diabetes
- abdominal pain due to pancreatic insufficiency or nerve invasion
- tumours in head may obstruct pancreatic duct and bile duct - ‘double duct sign’ on radiology
What is the name given to the process of excising a head of pancreas tumour?
Whipple’s resection
What is the commonest pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour and how does it present?
insulinoma - hypoglycaemia
Differentiate between intra and extra hepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
intra: needs to be distinguished from metastatic adenocarcinoma and HCC
extra: similar to pancreatic carcinoma. Treatment = Whipple’s to remove common bile duct and involved pancreas/duodenum
What are the criteria for diagnosis of acute pancreatitis?
2/3 of:
- pain in keeping with pancreatitis
- amylase 3 times upper limit of normal
- characteristic CT appearance
What investigations should be carried out in acute pancreatitis?
- US to assess gallstones
- MRCP to assess for CBD stones
- CT if diagnostic doubt or concern about complications
Give 2 DDx for acute pancreatitis.
perforated duodenum
ischaemic bowel
What does non-enhancing pancreas on venous phase CT suggest?
pancreatic necrosis
How would you manage infected pancreatic necrosis?
- open necrosectomy
- percutaneous necrosectomy
- radiological drainage
Give complications associated with pancreatic necrosis.
bleeding
erosion to surrounding structures
Discuss the use of interventional radiology for bleeding following pancreatic necrosis.
- access via groin
- selective cannulation of coeliac trunk
- commonly splenic artery aneurysm
- usually coils placed before and after blood, can be stunted
Pancreatic pseudocysts may settle without intervention. However if they remain symptomatic, how are they resolved?
drain to stomach laparoscopically or endoscopically
What is a pancreatic fistula?
an abnormal communication between the pancreas and other organs due to leakage of pancreatic secretions from damaged pancreatic ducts
How is pancreatic fistula managed?
- may require period of parenteral nutrition
- endoscopic treatment
- may require salvage distal pancreatectomy
What is the initial treatment of acute pancreatitis?
fluids, oxygen, organ support, antibiotics? early enteral feeding superior to parenteral feeding
What type of epithelium lines the oesophagus?
non-keratinising stratified squamous
What histological changes occur to the epithelium in reflux oesophagitis?
increased number of inflammatory cels
basal zone becomes hyperplastic
Which two pathogens most commonly cause infection of the oesophagus?
candida albicans
herpes simplex virus
What causes inflammation of oesophageal tissue?
- peptic oesophagitis/GORD: reflux of acid/bile
- lye
- pills: iron, bisphosphonates, tetracyclines
Describe Barrett’s oesophagus.
- a metaplastic response to mucosal injury e.g. long term GORD
- squamous epithelium becomes glandular, usually intestinal with goblet cells
- associated with the development of benign strictures and adenocarcinoma
Describe the typical epithelial appearance of Candida oesophagitis.
active chronic inflammation with many neutrophils especially near the luminal surface
How is a PAS stain used to confirm Candida albicans?
spores and hyphae present
Differentiate between low grade and high grade dysplastic epithelium seen in Barrett’s oesophagus.
low grade: cells polarised, nuclei stratified
high grade: polarity lost, nuclei rounder, prominent nucleoli, abnormal mitoses, necrosis
What is the main risk of Barrett’s oesophagus? How is risk of developing to this stage avoided?
carcinoma
radiofrequency ablation
radical surgery
Squamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are the two main oesophageal cancers. How do their associated factors differ?
- smoking and drinking
2. GORD and obesity