Hepatobiliary Flashcards
What are the 3 types of gall stones and what causes each to form?
- cholesterol stones (from excess cholesterol- poor diet, obesity)
- pigment stones (from bile pigment, seen in haemolytic anaemia)
- mixed stones (from cholesterol and bile pigment)
give 5 risk factors for gall stones
fat forty fertile female familly history pregnancy oral contraceptives haemolytic anaemia malabsorbtion
Describe the clinical features of biliary colic
- sudden dull colicky pain in RUQ/ epigastric region
- may radiate to the back
- precipitated by consumption of fatty food
- may get N+V also
- no inflammatory signs
- symptoms settle quickly when pain relief started
What is biliary colic and acute cholecystitis?
Biliary colic is where the gall stone gets stuck in the bladder neck, no inflammatory response.
Acute cholecystitis is when the gall stone is impacted in the cystic duct or common bile duct and causes an inflammatory response.
Describe the clinical features of acute cholecystitis
- initially may present similarly to biliary colic
- constant epigastric/ RUQ pain
- persists despite pain relief
- signs of inflammation: fever, raised WCC and CRP
- LFT derangement (ALP, GGT), jaundice, perforation, hepatomegaly if common bile duct blocked
- O/e= RUQ tenderness and murphys sign (pain on inspiration when pressing on RUQ)
give 3 differentials for biliary colic and cholecystitis
- GORD
- peptic ulcer
- acute pancreatitis
- IBD
- ascending cholangitis
How should biliary colic/ cholecystitis be investigated?
- FBC and CRP
- U&E (assess for dehydration secondary to reduced oral intake, AKI from sepsis etc)
- LFTs: likley show raised ALP, may get liver failure due to obstruction
- amylase: pancreatitis as differential
- trans abdo USS 1st
- magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatograph (MRCP) if USS inconclusive
how is biliary colic managed?
- analgesia
- low fibre diet, weight loss and increase exercise
- elective (laparoscopic) cholecystectomy should be offered within 6 weeks of first presentation due to change of recurrence with more severe complications such as pancreatitis
How is acute cholecystitis managed?
- IV abx: co amoc +/- metronidazole
- fluid resus
- full sepsis 6 if appropriate
- NG tube if pt vomiting
- NBM
- analgesia: usually opioid
- laparoscopic cholecystectomy needed within 1 week but ideally in 3 days
- if unfit for surgery and nor responding to abx, percutaneous cholecystotomy to drain infection
- lifestyle management as recurrence rate is high
name and describe 7 complications of biliary colic?
- gall bladder empyema: abscess forms following infection, seen on USS or CT, needs laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- Chronic cholecystitis: recurrent or untreated cholecystitis + ongoing RUQ pain, treat w. elective cholecystectomy
- Gall stone ileus: inflammation of gall bladder wall causes fistula to form between gall bladder and duodenum, stone moved into duodenum and obstructs at terminal ileum
- bouvertes syndrome: gall stone moves into duodenum via fistula and causes duodenal obstruction
- obstructive jaundice
- ascending cholangitis
- acute pancreatitis
What is cholangitis and what causes it?
This is infection of the biliary tract, caused by biliary outflow obstruction (due to gall stone, ERCP or cholangiocarcinoma) and subsequent infection due to fluid stasis and elevated intraluminal pressure. Most common infective organism is e coli, klebsiella and enterococcus
Describe the clinical features of cholangitis
- RUQ pain + fever + Jaundice = Charcots triad
- RUQ pain + fever + jaundice + hypotension + confusion= Reynolds Pentad
- May also have pruritus (from bile accumulation in tissues), pale stool (bile cannot emulsify the fats), dark urine (conjugated bilirubin not leaving in bile so peed out)
- Often PMH gall stones, ERCP
- Pyrexia, rigors, jaundice, RUQ tenderness, confusion, hypotension and tachy may be present on examination
how should cholangitis be investigated?
- routine bloods: fbc (often leukocytosis), lft
- blood cultures
- uss shows dilation
- ERCP is diagnostic and therapeutic but many will want an MRCP first anyway
How should cholangitis be managed?
- sepsis 6
- ERCP with or without spincterotomy and stenting- done ASAP if pt deteriorating
- percutaneous trans hepatic cholangiograph may be used if too sick to tolerate ERCP
Give 4 complications of ERCP
cholangitis
pancreatitis
bleeding
perforation
Where do most cholangiocarcinomas arise from?
the bifucation of the left and right hepatic duct