Lecture 3 - Pancreas Disorders Flashcards
What are 3 of the most common neoplasias associated with MEN-2A?
- Parathyroid hyperplasia –> hypercalcemia
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma –> elevated calcitonin = low Ca2+
- Pheochromocytoma –> elevated catecholamines
Autoimmune pancreatitis is associated with high levels of?
Hypergammaglobulinemia (IgG4)
When should Rapid-bolus IV contrast-enhanced CT be avoided in Acute Pancreatitis?
When serum Cr > 1.5 mg/dL
Which drug can improve pain in chronic pancreatitis and low pain medicaton requirement?
Pregabalin
What are some of the complications associated with Severe Acute Pancreatitis?
- Necrotizing pancreatitis
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
- Multisystem organ failure
- Intravascular volume depletion
- Ileus
Which imaging modality for Chronic Pancreatitis may show calcification not seen on plain film?
CT
Treatment for Chronic Pancreatitis requires abstaining from what?
Aimed at controlling?
- Abstain from alcohol use
- Aimed at controlling pain and malabsorption
How does Acute Pancreatitis lead to Hypocalcemia?
- Saponification
- Cations (Ca2+) interact w/ FFA’s released by actions of activated lipases on TAG’s in fat cells —> Hypocalcemia
In patients with Chronic Pancreatitis w/ suspected pancreatic steatorrhea (malabsorption/insufficiency), which tests are useful for evaluation?
- Fecal elastase-1
- Small-bowel biopsy
Which % of pancreatic necrosis is associated with 2, 4, or 6 additional points added to the CT grade points for the severity index of acute pancreatitis?
- <30% = 2 points
- 30-50% = 4 points
- >50% = 6 points
What will levels of Fecal-Elastase be like in pancreatic exocrine insufficiency?
Low (<100 mcg/gram stool)
Upon PE of someone with Acute Pancreatits what are some of the common findings you can expect to see?
- Low-grade fever, tachycardia, hypotension (even shock)
- Erythematous skin nodules due to subcutaneous fat necrosis
- Basilar rales and pleural effusion (often on the left - fluid shifts) –> (edema-3rd spacing)
- Cullen’s sign (periumbilical) or (Grey) Turner’s sign (flanks)
Which imaging modalities should be considered in pts with recurrent pancreatitis, especially after repeated attacks of idiopathic acute pancreatitis?
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
- Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
What are 5 of the risk factors for high levels of fluid sequestration (3rd spacing/edema) seen in Acute Pancreatitis?
- Younger age
- Alcohol etiology
- Higher hematocrit value
- Higher serum glucose
- Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome in the first 48 hours of admission
What are 5 risk factors for Acute Pancreatitis?
- Smoking
- High dietary glycemic load
- Abdominal adiposity
- Increasing age
- Obesity
What is the mnemonic and values for the Ranson Criteria used 48 hours after admission for Acute Pancreatitis?
C-HOBBS
Calcium <8
Hematocrit drop >10%
Oxygen (PaO2) <60mmHg
Base deficit >4
BUN increase >5
Sequestration of fluid >6
What is Trousseau’s sign of hypocalcemia vs. Trousseau’s sign of malignancy?
- Of Malignancy = repeated attacks of multiple venous thrombosis (migratory thrombophlebitis) –> pancreatic cancer
- Hypocalcemia = spasm of muscles of hand + forearm w/ flexion at wrist after putting BP cuff on patient
What are some examples of trauma which can cause Acute Pancreatitis?
- Blunt abdominal trauma
- Surgery
- Peritoneal dialysis
Elevated amylase is not the preferred marker for Acute Pancreatitis because it can also be elevated in which 6 conditions?
- High intestinal obstruction
- Gastroenteritis
- Mumps (not involving pancreas - salivary amylase)
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Administration of opioids
- Post-abdominal surgery
What are the 2 most common causes of Acute Pancreatitis in the US?
- Cholelithiasis (gallstones)
- Alcohol
What are some of the common complications associated with Chronic Pancreatitis?
Which specific type of diabetes?
- Chronic abdominal pain
- Gastroparesis
- Malabsorption/Maldigestion/Malnutrition/Steatorrhea
- Impaired glucose tolerance (Brittle diabetes mellitus)
- Nondiabetic retinopathy
- Bile duct stricture, osteoporosis, and peptic ulcer
- Pancreatic cancer
When is Rapid-bolus IV Contrast-Enhanced CT used for Acute Pancreatitis?
Which steps need to be taken to perform the test?
Identifies?
- Following aggressive volume resuscitation
- Particularly useful after 3 days of severe acute pancreatits
- Identifies areas and degree of pancreatic necrosis
What “sign” is this and what pathology is it associated with?
- “Sentinel Loop”
- Acute pancreatitis
Large elevations (>3x normal) of amylase virtually assure the diagnosis of Acute Pancreatitis as long as which other pathologies have been excluded?
- Salivary gland disease
- Intestinal perforation/infarction
Which CT findings correlate with a score of 1-4 for CT grade of Acute Pancreatitis?
1 = Pancreatic Enlargement
2 = Pancreatic inflammation and/or peripancreatic fat
3 = Single acute peripancreatic fluid collection
4 = 2+ acute peripancreatic fluid collections or retroperitoneal air
Draining a pseudocyst associated with acute pancreatitis is done with the help of what imaging modality?
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)
Hypertriglyceridemia (usually >1000) with acute pancreatitis requires what work-up?
Check a lipid panel for severe acute pancreatitis etiology
What are the common symptoms associated with Acute Pancreatitis?
Boring pain in the epigastric and periumbilical regions may radiate to the back, chest, flanks, and lower abdomen
What is the mnemonic for the pre-disposing factors for Chronic Pancreatitis?
- TIGAR-O
- Toxic-metabolic (i.e., alcohol, smoking, meds, hyper-calcemia/lipidemia
- Idiopathic
- Genetic –> CF, PRSS1, CASR, SPINK1
- Autoimmune
- Recurrent and severe acute pancreatitis
- Obstructive