IBD Flashcards
Describe the basic anatomy of the Lower GI tract?
Appendix Caecum Ascending Colon Transverse Colon Descending Colon Sigmoid Colon Rectum Anus Small bowel
What is the parasympathetic supply to the lower GI tract?
Ascending colon and most of transverse colon innervated by vagus nerve
More distal innervated by pelvic nerves
What is the sympathetic innervation of the GI tract?
lower thoracic and upper lumbar spinal cord
What is the purpose of the illiocaecal valve?
Gives access to the terminal illeum
What provides the blood supply to the lower GI tract? (Arterial)
Small bowel - SMA
Colon - branches of SMA and IMA (mainly left side)
What provides the blood supply to the lower GI tract? (Venous)
SMV
IMV
Both join the portal vein and eventually the inferior vena cava
What are the 4 layers of the gut?
Mucosa: Epithelium, Lamina propia and muscularis mucosae
Submucosa
Muscularis: Circular and Lpongituidinal
Serosa: Nerve supply
What are the nerve plexuses in the gut?
Myenteric plexus
Submucosal plexus
What is the main features of the mucosa?
Glands that produce mucin that lubricates the bowel making the passing of faeces easier
What is the nerve supply to the external anal sphincter?
somatic motor fibres in the pudendal nerves
What is the function of the afferent sensory neurons?
Detect pressure
Send signals to empty
Where is the myenteric plexus gangila?
Concentrated below the teniae coli?
What are the inflammatory bowel disorders?
Inflammatory bowel disease
Micrscopic colitis (normal looking mucosa, but histological abnormalities on biopsy)
What are some infective bowel disorders?
C Diff
Ecoli
What are some structural bowel disorders?
Diverticular disease
Haemorrhoids
Fissures
What are some functional bowel disorders?
Irritable bowel syndrome
What are some neoplastic bowel disorder?
Colonic polyps
Colon cancer
What are some other causes of bowel disorders?
Neurological
Metabolic
Vascular
How many people in Europe and America are affected by IBD?
1.5 million people in America and 2.2 million in Europe
Particularly high in the northern hemisphere
But more recently studies in Asia and the Middle East have shown increasing incidence world wide
Who does IBD often affect?
Often young people
Lifelong chronic disease
What is the toll of IBD?
Burden of therapy for patients Hospitalisation Surgery Health-related quality of life Economic productivity Social functioning
What does IBD comprise?
Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn’s disease
What are the features of Ulcerative Colitis?
Inflammatory disorder limited to the colonic mucosa Superficial Continuous Always involves the rectum Only large bowel M = F NO granulomas