GI- Pathology II Flashcards
What pts most commonly get colorectal cancer?
50+ yo with ~25% having a family Hx
What are the risk factors for colorectal cancer?
- adenomatous and serrated polyps
- familial cancer syndrome
IBD
tobacco use
diet of process meat with low fiber
Where in the colon does cancer most commonly occur?
rectosigmoid > ascending > descending
How do ascending colorectal cancers present?
An exophytic mass, iron deficiency anemia, and weight loss
How do descending colorectal cancers present?
as an infiltrating mass, partial obstruction, colicky pain, and hematochezia
Colorectal cancer rarely presents with ________ bacteremia
Strept. Bovis
How is colorectal cancer diagnosed?
iron deficiency anemia in males (especially 50+) and postmenopausal females raises suspicion
screen pts 50+ with colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or stool occult blood test
How does colorectal cancer appear on a barium swallow test X-ray?
Apple core lesion
What is a good tumor marker for CRC?
CEA- good for MONITORING recurrence, but not for screening
What are the 2 molecular pathways that can lead to CRC?
1) Microsatellite instability pathway (~15%): DNA mismatch repair gene mutations (sporadic and Lynch syndrome)
2) APC/B-Catenin pathway (~85%) (sporadic cancer)
Describe the order of mutations in the APC/B-Catenin CRC pathway
Normal colon- loss of APC gene (decreases intercellular adhesions and increases proliferation)
Colon at risk- KRAS mutation (unregulated intracellular signal transduction)
Adenoma- loss of p53
Carcinoma
What is cirrhosis?
diffuse bridginf fibrosis and nodular regeneration via stellate cells disrupts normal liver architecture (increases the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma)
What are some common causes of liver cirrhosis?
alcohol (60-70%)
chronic viral hepatitis
biliary disease
genetic/metabolic disorders
What are the main effects of portal HTN?
-esophageal varices (leading to hematemesis)
peptic ulcers (leading to melena)
Splenomegaly
Caput medusae, ascites
anorectal varices
What are the main effects of liver cell failure?
- hepatic encephalopathy
- scleral icterus
- fetor hepaticus (musty smelling breath)
- Gynecomastia, spider nevi, and testicular atrophy (due to icnreased free estrogen)
- jaundice
- ankle edema
- liver ‘flap’ (asterixis) (coarse hand tremor)
- bleeding tendency
What are some conditions in which ALP would be elevated?
-cholestatic and obstructive hepatobiliary disease
HCC
infiltrative disorders
bone disease
What are some conditions in which AST and ALT would be elevated?
viral hepatitis (ALT > AST)
alcoholic hepatitis (AST > ALT)
What are some conditions in which amylase would be elevated?
acute pancreatitis, mumps
What are some conditions in which ceruloplasmin would be suppressed?
Wilson disease
What are some conditions in which y-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) would be elevated?
elevated in liver and biliary diseases but not in bone disease like ALP
associated with alcohol use
Elevated lipase is most specific for what?
acute pancreatitis
What is Reye Syndrome?
A rare, often fatal childhood heaptic encephalopathy caused by aspirin use in children (typically for home tx of viral infections such as VZV and influenza B
What are some findings with Reye Syndrome?
mitochondrial abnormalities
fatty liver and hepatomegaly
hypoglycemia
vomiting
How does aspirin cause Reye syndrome?
aspirin metabolites decrease B-oxidation by reversible inhibition of mitochondrial enzymes (avoid aspirin in children except in Kawasaki disease)
What are some alcoholic liver diseases?
- hepatic steatosis
- alcoholic hepatitis
- alcoholic cirrhosis
this is a progression
Describe the histology of hepatic steatosis
Macrovesicular fatty change that may be reversible with alcohol cessation
Describe the histology of alcoholic hepatitis
this is marked by:
- swollen and necotirc hepatocytes with neutrophilic infiltration
- Mallory bodies (intracellular eosinophilic inclusions of damaged keratin filaments- below)
T or F. Alcoholic hepatitis requires sustained, long-term consumption
T.
What is the AST:ALT ratio in alcoholic hepatitis?
1.5+
Describe alcoholic cirrhosis
This is the final and irreversible form of alcoholic liver disease marked by jaundice and hypoalbuminemia
How does the liver grossly appear with alcoholic cirrhosis?
micronodular, and irregularly shrunken with ‘hobnail’ appearance
In alcoholic cirrhosis, sclerosis is most prominantly seen in which zone?
around the central vein (zone III)
Describe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
This is a metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance marked by fatty infiltration of hepatocytes and cellular ‘ballooning’ and eventual necrosis independent of alcohol use
May cause cirrhosis and HCC
Which is more elevated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, ALT or AST?
ALT over AST
How does hepatic enchapelopathy arise?
cirrhosis causes portosystemic shunts, leading to decreased NH3 metabolism which directly causes the neuropsychiatric dysfunction
How does hepatic encephalopathy present?
can range from disorientation/asterixis (mild) to difficult arousal/coma (severe)