HPB Patho Flashcards
What is cholestasis?
Systemic retention of bilirubin and other solutes eliminated in bile, caused by impaired bile formation and flow
What is bile?
bilirubin and other non-water soluble waste products + bile salts
What is the term for yellow discoloration of the sclera?
Icterus
What are 5 symptoms of cholestasis?
1) Jaundice
2) Icterus
3) Pruritis (itch)
4) Skin xanthomas (Fat bumps)
5) Intestinal malabsorption (fat-soluble vit ADEK deficiencies)
What are 5 causes of jaundice?
Pre-hepatic
1) excess bilirubin prod. (eg. haemolysis, ineffective erythropoeisis)
Hepatic
2) ↓ hepatic uptake (eg. drugs)
3) impaired conjugation (eg. neonatal, genetic, diffuse hepatocellular change)
4) Impaired bile flow (eg. autoimmune cholangiopathies)
Post-hepatic
5) Impaired bile flow (eg. cholelithiasis, cancer)
What is the difference between unconjugated and conjugated bilirubin?
Unconjugated:
- ↑ in prehepatic jaundice
- water-insoluble, bound to albumin in circulation
- diffuse into tissues (eg. kernicterus)
Conjugated:
- ↑ in hepatic/post-hepatic jaundice
- water-soluble, non-toxic
- excess excreted in urine (“tea-coloured urine”)
What are the features of obstructive patterned jaundice?
1) ↑ conjugated bilirubin
2) tea-coloured urine
3) Pale stools
(Likely post-hepatic)
What are the features of hepatitic patterned jaundice?
1) ↑ conjugated bilirubin
2) ↑ unconjugated bilirubin
3) ↑ AST/ALT
4) ±tea coloured urine
5) Normal stools
(likely hepatic)
What is the clinical importance of localising the problem precipitating jaundice?
Extrahepatic biliary obstruction: surgical alleviation
Intrahepatic cholestasis: does not benefit from surgery/can be worsened
What are 3 examples of cholestatic diseases?`
1) Large bile duct obstruction
2) Primary hepatolithiasis
3) Neonatal cholestasis & biliary atresia
What are 5 common associations of large bile duct obstruction?
1) Gallstones (extrahepatic)
2) Malignancies (of biliary tree/pancreas head)
3) Inflammatory bile duct strictures
4) Porta hepatis lymphadenopathy
5) Children: Bile duct malformations/loss
What are the categories for large bile duct obstruction etiologies?
1) Intraluminal (eg. stones, parasites)
2) Mural (eg. strictures, malignancies)
3) Extramural (eg. HOP cancers, Portal LNs)
What are 3 sequelae of large bile duct obstruction?
1) Acute: reversible with obstruction removal
2) Subtotal/intermittent obstruction:
- ↑ ascending cholangitis risk → intrahepatic cholangitic abscesses/sepsis
3) Chronic: Biliary cirrhosis
4) Acute on Chronic Liver Failure (by superimposed ascending cholangitis)
When is feathery degeneration seen?
Hepatocyte damage secondary to cholestasis
When are dilated bile ducts seen?
Cholestasis
What is primary hepatolithiasis?
Intrahepatic biliary stone formation
What are 3 sequelae of primary hepatolithiasis?
Repeated bouts of:
1) Ascending cholangitis
2) Progressive inflammatory destruction/collapse
3) Scarring of hepatic parenchyma (recurrent pyogenic/oriental cholangitis)
Primary hepatolithiasis predisposes a px to ___________________________.
1) Biliary Intraepithelial Neoplasia (BilIN)
2) Cholangiocarcinoma
What kind of jaundice does neonatal cholestasis cuase?
Prolonged conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia in neonates (>14-21days after birth)
What are 5 major causes of neonatal cholestasis?
1) Cholangiopathies (extrahepatic biliary atresia → surgery)
2) Toxins: drugs, parenteral nutrition
3) Metabolic: Tyrosinaemia
4) Infectious: CMV, sepsis
5) Idiopathic
What histological changes are expected in neonatal cholestasis?
Multinucleated hepatocyte giant cells
What is extrahepatic biliary atresia?
Complete/partial obstruction of the extrahepatic biliary tree lumen < 1st 3 mths of life
- cause of neonatal cholestasis
True or false: Extrahepatic biliary atresia can extend to involve intrahepatic ducts?
True, usually requires transplantation
How does extrahepatic biliary atresia present?
1) Jaundice (↑conj. bil)
2) Pale stools
3) Tea-coloured urine
(obstructive jaundice)
True or false: Extrahepatic biliary atresia is the #3 cause of death from liver disease in early childhood.
False. #1 cause (death <2yrs w/o transplant)
What are the 2 forms of extrahepatic biliary atresia patheogenesis?
By presumed timing of obstruction:
1) Fetal form
- aberrant intrauterine development of extrahepatic biliary tree (±other abnormalities eg. situs inversus, CHD)
2) Perinatal form
- normal biliary tree destroyed after birth (eg. viral infection, autoimmune)
What are 2 types of autoimmune cholangiopathies?
1) Primary biliary cholangitis
- assoc.: Sjogren’s, thyroid disease, 50F
- Histo: Florid duct lesions, loss of small/medium bile ducts
2) Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- assoc.: IBS/D, 30M
- histo: Inflammatory destruction of large ducts, fibrotic obliteration of small/medium ducts
- radio: strictures/beading of large ducts, pruning of small bile ducts
What are 2 structural anomalies of biliary tree that can lead to cholestasis?
1) Choledochal cyst
2) Fibropolycystic disease
What is a choledochal cyst?
Developmental malformation of biliary tree (usually CBD)
- predispose to stones, stenosis, strictures, pancreatitis, cholangiocarcinoma
What is fibropolycystic disease?
Heterogenous group of lesions (primary abnormalities are congenital ductal plate malformations)
eg.
1) Von Meyenburg complex (small bile duct hamartomas)
2) Single/multiple intra/extrahepatic biliary cysts
3) Congenital hepatic fibrosis
4) ±polycystic renal disease
↑ risk of cholangiocarcinoma
What is the difference between Caroli disease and Caroli syndrome?
Caroli disease: Biliary cysts 2° to fibropolycystic disease
Caroli syndrome: “ w congenital hepatic fibrosis
What are 3 types of gallstones?
1) Cholesterol
- supersaturation of cholesterol
- radiolucent
- Fat, Female, Forty, Fertile
2) Pigment
- Unconj. bil + insoluble Ca salts
- radio-opaque
- Black: Chronic Haemolytic Anemia; Brown: Biliary infections
3) Mixed
What are the clinical presentations of cholelithiasis?
1) >80% asymptomatic
2) Symptomatic:
- RUQ/epigastic pain
- biliary colic
- worse after fatty meal
What are 4 sequelae of cholelithiasis?
1) Acute cholecystitis, empyema (pus), hydrops (fluid distension)
2) CBD obstruction/pancreatitis
3) Perforation, fistulas, gallstone ileus (SI obstruction)
4) ↑gall bladder carcinoma
What are the features of acute and chronic cholecystitis?
Chronic:
- often asymptomatic, ± antecedent attacks
Acute:
- Progressive pain (>6hrs) ± mild fever
- LOA
- Tachycardia, sweating, nausea, vomiting
- Hx of RUQ/perigastric/biliary colic
What are the 2 types/pathogenesis of acutecholecystitis?
1) Calculous (90%)
- obstruction by stone → irritation and inflammation
2) Acalculous (10%)
- severely ill px (eg. septic shock, trauma, burns, immunosuppressed, DM, infections)
- due to ischaemia (cystic artery is end-artery)
What is the pathogenesis of calculous cholecystitis?
Mucosal phospholipase hydrolyse luminal lecithins → toxic lysolecithins
→ disrupt protective glycoprotein mucus layer (exposed to detergent action of bile salts)
→ prostaglandin release
→ mucosal and mural inflammation
→ distension + ↑intramural P
→ ↓blood flow to mucosa
What is the pathogenesis of acalculous cholecystitis?
Ischaemia to cystic artery
→ inflammation + oedema of wall
→ ↓blood flow
→ gallbladder stasis, biliary sludge, mucus
→ cystic duct obstruction
What are 4 gross features of acute cholescystitis?
1) Enlarged, tense edematous and congested
2) Violaceous/green-black
3) Fibrinous/Fibrinopurulent serosal exudates
4) Ulcerated mucosa
± stones
What are 4 complications of acute cholecystitis?
1) Gangrene/empyema (eg. C. diff)
2) Pericholecystic/subdiaphragmatic abscesses
3) Ascending cholangitis/Liver abscess
4) Septicaemia
What are 2 gross features of chronic cholecystitis?
1) Contracted, thickened wall
2) Smooth mucosa
± calculi
What are 4 histological features of chronic cholecystitis?
1) Chronic inflammatory infiltrates
2) Fibromuscular hypertrophy
3) Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses
4) Subserosal fibrosis
What is a porcelain gallbladder?
Form of chronic cholecystitis
- extensive dystrophic calcification in walls
- ↑risk of cancer
What is Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis?
Form of chronic cholecystitis
- rupture of Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses → accumulation of foamy macrophages
- massively thickened wall
What is a hydrops gallbladder?
Form of chronic cholecystitis
- atrophic
- dilated GB containing only clear secretions
What are 2 non-neoplastic liver masses?
1) Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)
2) Macro-regenerative nodule
What are 3 benign neoplasms of liver masses?
1) Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA)
2) Bile duct hamartoma/adenoma
3) Haemangioma
What are 3 malignant neoplasms of liver masses?
1) Hepatocellular carcinoma (90%)
2) Cholangiocarcinoma (10%)
3) Angiosarcoma
What is focal nodular hyperplasia?
Non-neoplastic liver mass
- due to focal alterations in hepatic blood supply
What are 2 gross features of focal nodular hyperplasia?
1) Well-demarcated but poorly encapsulated pale nodule (± central fibrous scar)
2) Background non-cirrhotic liver
What are
1) Fibrous scar w radiating fibrous septa containing large, misshapened arterial vessels
2) Ductular reaction
3) Separated hyperplastic hepatocytes
4) No normal ducts
What is the most common benign liver tumour?
Cavernous haemangioma
What is a cavernous haemangioma?
Benign neoplasm of liver
What are the 4 gross features of a cavernous haemangioma?
1) Subcapsular
2) Discrete
3) Red-blue
4) Soft
What is 1 histological feature of cavernous haemangioma?
Large vascular channels separated by thin fibrous connective tissue
What are 3 complications of cavernous haemangiomas?
Rupture →
1) Intraperitoneal bleeding
2) Thrombosis
3) DIVC
What is a hepatocellular adenoma?
Benign tumour arising from hepatocytes
What are the risk factors hepatocellular adenoma?
1) Oral contraceptives
2) Anabolic steroids
How do px with hepatocellular adenomas present?
Incidental abdo pain (rapid growth of haemorrhage)
What are the 3 gross features of a hepatocellular adenoma?
1) Pale
2) Soft
3) Non-cirrhotic background
±haemorrhage
What are 2 histological features of a hepatocellular adenoma?
1) 2-3 cell thick hepatocytes cords
2) ± steatosis and haemorrhage
What is hepatocellular carcinoma?
1 malignant neoplasm of liver
What are 4 major etiological associations pf HCC?
1) Viral infections (HBV, HCV)
2) Toxins (Aflatoxin: from aspergillus, alcohol)
3) Metabolic diseases (hereditary haemochromatosis, Wilson disease (WD) and alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD))
4) Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) w metabolic syndrome
What are the 2 most common mutational events in Hepatocarcinogenesis?
1) ß catenin activation (40%) → genetic instability
2) p53 inactivation (esp for aflatoxin)
How does chronic liver disease predispose a px to hepatocarcinogenesis?
IL-6/JAK/STAT pathway → hepatocyte proliferation (HNF4a transcription factor)
True or false: cirrhosis is a prerequisite for hepatocarcinogenesis.
False
- progression to cirrhosis and hepatocarcinogenesis can be parallel
What are 3 clinical presentations of HCC?
1) Asymptomatic
2) Ill-defined upper abdo pain, malaise, fatigue, WL
3) Hepatomegaly, abdominal mass, fullness
4) Rare: jaundice, fever, variceal bleeding
What are 2 Ix for suspected HCC?
1) Serum α-fetoprotein
2) Radio imaging w contrast
What are the 3 areas of spread in HCC?
1) Intrahepatic (vascular) → satellite lesions
2) Portal/hepatic vein
3) Lymph nodes
What are 3 gross findings of HCC?
1) Unifocal (large) mass
2) Multifocal (variable) nodules
3) Diffuse and infiltrative
4) Pale or variegated
What are 5 histological features of HCC?
1) Well to poorly differentiated
2) Growth patterns: (i) trabecular-sinusoidal (ii) pseudoacinar (iii) compact
3) Polygonal cells w eosinophilic cytoplasm and central, round, distinct nucleolus
4) Pleomorphism
5) Bile production
What is the prognosis for HCC and what are the factors?
Factors:
1) Stage/grade
2) No./size of nodules
3) Vascular spread
4) ±cirrhosis
Poor 5 yr survival (most <2 years)
Death by:
- cachexia
- variceal bleeding
- liver failure/hepatic coma
- rupture → haemorrhage
What are 4 treatment options for HCC?
1) Surgical resection
2) Liver transplantation
3) Immunotherapy
4) Locoregional ablation
(transarterial chemoembolisation, transarterial Y90 radioembolisation, radiofrequency ablation)
What are 2 ways screening and surveillance is done for HCC?
1) US + serum α-fetoprotein
2) CT + MRI w Contrast
What is the most common liver tumour in early childhood?
Hepatoblastoma
What are the 2 main histological variants of hepatoblastoma?
1) Epithelial type:
- polygonal fetal/smaller embryonic cells
- vaguely recapitulating liver development
2) Mixed epithelial and mesenchymal type:
- Primitive mesenchyme, osteoid, cartilage, striated muscle
What is the hepatoblastoma associated syndrome for FAP?
Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome
What are 2 treatment options for hepatoblastoma?
1) Surgical resection
2) Chemotherapy
What is the 2nd most common primary malignant tumour of the liver?
Cholangiocarcinoma
What are 4 risk factors that predispose to cholangiocarcinoma?
1) Liver fluke infestation
2) Primary sclerosing cholangitis
3) Hepatolithiasis
4) Fibropolycystic liver disease
5) HBV, HCV, NAFLD
6) Premalignant lesions: BilIN, Intraductal papillary biliary neoplasia, Mucinous cystic neoplasms
How does the location of cholangiocarcinoma affect presentation?
Extrahepatic:
- present earlier w RUQ pain, smaller biliary obstruction, cholangitis
Intrahepatic:
- detected late
What is the prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma?
poor
- ~15% survival @ 2 years
- 6mths median survival after surgery for intrahepatic CCA
What are the difference in gross features of a extrahepatic and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma?
Intrahepatic: mass-forming, periductal/mixed
Extrahepatic: papillary/polyploid, stricture, diffusely-infiltrative adenocarcinoma, lymphovascular adn perineural infiltration
What are 2 vascular malignant primary hepatic tumours?
1) Angiosarcoma
2) Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma
What are 3 malignant primary hepatic lymphomas?
1) DLBCL
2) MALT lymphoma
3) Hepatosplenic δ-γ T cell lymphoma
True or false: Primary hepatic neoplasms are the most common tumours in the liver
False.
- metastases far more common than primary hepatic
Where do secondary hepatic neoplasms usually spread from (3)?
1) Breast
2) Colon
3) Lung
4) Pancreas
What are 3 gross features of secondary hepatic neoplasms?
1) Hepatomegaly
2) Multiple pale nodules in non-cirrhotic liver
3) Subcapsular umbilication of nodules (from central tumour necrosis)
What is the most common malignancy of the extrahepatic biliary tract?
Gallbladder Carcinoma
What are 2 risk factor for gallbladder carcinoma?
1) Gallstones
2) Chronic bacterial and parasitic infections
What are the 6 areas of spread for gallbladder carcinoma?
Direct:
- Liver
- Stomach
- Duodenum
Metastasis:
- Liver
- Regional lymph node
- Lungs