Oesophagogastric Flashcards
What are the histological layers of the oesophagus?
- mucosa (non-keratinising stratified squamous epithelium, abruptly becomes glandular columnar at Z line; BM, LP; MM)
- submucosa - contains neurovascular & support tissue incl Messner neural plexus
- muscularis propria - inner circular, outer longitudinal; striated muscle in upper part (incl cricopharyngeus); smooth muscl ein lower & mixture in middle; Auerbach plexus between 2 layers of oesophagus
- NO serosa - just perioesophageal tissue/adventitia
Describe the classification of GOJ tumours
The definition of adenocarcinomas of the GOJ does not allow correct comparison of diagnosis (endoscopic, radiological and pathologic), epidemiology and surgical therapy in national and international aspects, because different tumours can develope in the same area, and all called cardia tumors. Siewert and Stein recommended a classification to solve this problem.

Describe the classification of Oesophagitis
Los Angeles Classification - endoscopically based
Grade A - One or more mucosal breaks, confined to the mucosal folds, each not more than 5mm in maximal length
Grade B - One or more mucosal breaks more than 5mm in length, but not continuous between mucosal folds
Grade C - Mucosal breaks that are continuous between the tops of two or more mucosal folds, but which involve less than 75% of the esophageal circumference
Grade D - Mucosal breaks which involve at least 75% of the esophageal circumference.
Describe the classification of Gastric Ulcers
Historically classified using the Johnson classification, which was anatomically based and related to acidic-states:
- Type I - Lesser curve at incisura - low to normal acid state
- Type II - Two ulcers; gastric body and duodenum - high acid state
- Type III - Pre-pyloric - high acid state
- Type IV - High on lesser curve- normal acid state
- Type V - Anywhere - NSAID related
Describe the classification of obesity
WHO Classification
- BMI 18.5 - 24.9 = Normal
- BMI 25 - 29.5 = Pre-obese
- BMI 30 - 34.9 = Obese class 1
- BMI 35 - 39.9 = Obese class 2
- BMI 40 - 49.9 = Obese class 3
- BMI 50+ “super obese” (non-WHO, colloquial)
Describe the staging of gastric (MALT) lymphoma
Modified Blackledge system:
Stage I - Tumour confined to the GI tract without serosal penetration
Stage II - Tumour extends into abdomen nodes from the primary
II1 - Local nodes
II2 - Distant nodes
Stage III- Perforation of serosa with involvement of adjacent structures
Stage IV - Disseminated extra-nodal disease or supra-diaphragmatic disease.
There is no consensus on what constitutes a safe remnant liver volume but…
For patients with normal livers ~20-25%
For patients following NAC ~30%
For patients with chronic liver disease ~40%
*From the companion series.
Discuss the classification of Oesophageal Dysmotility
Chicago classification: a system derived from population-based high resolution manometry studies. It categorises dysmotility into 4 sub-groups:
- Disorders with GOJ outflow obstruction: Achalasia Types I-III, Hypertensive LES.
- Major disorders of peristalsis: Diffuse oes. spasm, Jackhammer oesophagus, absent contractility.
- Minor disorders of peristalsis: Ineffective motility, fragmented peristalsis.
- Normal.
Primary vs secondary:
- primary = achalasia, diffuse/distal oesophageal spasm, nutcracker/jackhammer oesophagus, hypertensive lower oesophageal sphincter, ineffective oesophageal motility
- secondary = from progressive damage induced by an underlying collagen vasuclar or neuromuscular disorder - scleroderma, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, lupus, Chagas disease
Anatomical approach based on involvement of oesophageal body or LOS - this is basis for understanding basic oesophageal manometry & often key to guide surgical therapy
- motility disorders of oesophageal body = distal oesophageal spasm (same as diffuse oesophageal spasm or corkscrew oesophagus) and hypercontractile oesophagus (same as nutcracker/jackhammer oesophagus)
- motility disorders of LOS = hypertensive LOS/GOJ outflow obstruction
- motility disorders affecting both body & LOS = achalasia, ineffective oesophageal motility

Classify the causes of Gastric Outlet Obstruction
- Intraluminal
- Neoplastic
- Gastric cancer
- GIST
- Large gastric polyps
- Foreign bodies
- PEG feeding tubes
- Bezoars
- Gallstones (Bouveret syndrome)
- Neoplastic
- Intramural
- Lymphoma
- Diffuse gastric cancer; Linitis plastica
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Caustic injury
- Extramural
- Pancreatitis +/- pseudocysts etc.
- Upper abdominal malignancy
- Retroperitoneal malignancy
- Hepato/splenomegaly
- Neurogenic
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Infiltrative neuropathy
Describe the classification of Hiatus Herniae
Anatomical classification based on the relationship of the LES to the diaphragmatic hiatus (DH):
Type 1 - “Sliding” - LES slides above DH
Type 2 - “Rolling” - Fundus rolls above DH past the LES
Type 3 - “Combined” - LES and fundus above DH
Type 4 - Stomach and other organ above DH
90% are Type 1.
Type I - asymptomatic can be mx conservatively; repair if symptomatic
Type II-IV - if asymptomatic, watchful waiting safe; if symptomatic repair (particularly if obstructive sx or have undergone volvulus)
- surgery traditionally advocated in all II-IV pts due to risk of complication, based on early series that showed much higher mortality after emergency cf elective cases (30% vs 1%); but more recent data suggests complications less common than initially thought (emergency surgery required in only 1% & operative mortality of 5.4% in this setting)
Describe the common scoring systems used for UGI bleeding
- The Rockall scoring system places emphasis on a correlation between M&M and advancing age, shock, or significant co-morbidity; score <3 good prognosis, >8 poor prognosis.
- derived based on 5 significant risk factors for mortality from a National UK audit
- consists of an initial score from clinical parameters (age, shock, comorbidities) & a complete composite score after endoscopic assessment
- initial score of zero (ie age <60, no tachycardia, no hypotension, no comorbidity): v low mortality
- composite score, incorporating endoscopic info incl cause of bleeding & stigmata of haemorrhage has been validated in prospective studies, but more accurate in predicting mortality than risk of rebleeding
- The Glasgow-Blatchford score (Hb, urea, SBP, sex, HR, melaena, recent syncope, hepatic disease hx, heart failure), predicts the likelihood of requiring endoscopic intervention rather than risk of death
- may be able to identify people who don’t need to be admitted to hospital after a UGIB (score of ≤1 are v low risk for rebleeding or mortality)
- advantages over Rockall score, which assesses risk of death in UGIB, include a lack of subjective variables eg severity of systemic diseases and lack of a need for OGD to complete the score, so can be calculated when pt first presents
- a simpler version of the score (modified GBS) = calculated using only the BUN, Hb, SBP and HR; score ranges from 0-16
- prospective study of modified score found it performed as well as the full GBS and outperformed Rockall score w regard to predicting need for clinical intervention, rebleeding and mortality
Describe the classification of corrosive injury
Based on endoscopic findings:
1st degree - Mild erythema and oedema (superficial)
2nd degree - Ulceration and severe oedema (transmucosal w or w/o involvement of muscularis)
3rd degree - Deep ulceration, luminal obstruction, and dusky necrosis. (full thickness, w or w/o adjacent organ involvement)
How are oesophageal varices graded?
- Grade 0 - absent
- Grade 1 - varices that collapse with insufflation
- Grade 2 - varices that do not collapse with insufflation
- Grade 3 - varices that occlude the lumen (large)
Discuss the histological classification of Gastric Cancer
The Lauren classification remains the most useful
- Intestinal - Environmental, men>women, older age, glandular, haematogenous spread, MSI and APC mutations.
- Diffuse - Familial, women>men, younger age, poorly differentiated, trans-mural and lymphatic spread, E-cadherin mutation
The WHO classifcation recognizes four major histologic patterns of gastric cancers: tubular, papillary, mucinous and poorly cohesive (including signet ring cell carcinoma), plus uncommon histologic variants. It is less useful.
What are the 3 distinct subgroups of patients with GORD?
How would you classify symptoms?
Acid reflux with oesophagitis
Volume reflux without endoscopic change
Barrett’s oesophagus
Typical symptoms - Heartburn, Acid-brash, Regurgitation
Atypical symptoms - Chest pain, Bloating
Extra-oesophageal - Globus, Cough, Dental decay, Sinus disease
Classify the aetiological causes of dysphagia
-
Neoplastic
- Oesophageal cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Pharyngeal/Oral SCC
-
Mechanical
- Schatzki’s ring
- Strictures
- Oesophageal webs
-
Neurological
- Parkinson’s
- Achalasia
- Oesophageal dysmotility
- MS/Cerebral palsy/stroke
-
Muscular
- Muscular dystrophy
- Connective tissue disease
What are the 2011 UK National Guidance recommendations regarding resection of colorectal liver metastases?
Resection should be offered if a patient is fit enough, and complete resection can be achieved whilst leaving an adequate future liver remnant.
Relative contra-indications to resection include:
- Non-treatable primary tumour
- Loco-regional recurrence
- Extensive nodal disease
- Widespread pulmonary disease
- CNS or skeletal metastases.
Describe the classification of Barrett’s oesophagus
The Prague Classification is an endoscopically based system that measures the maximal longitudinal extent of Barrett’s change from the GOJ (M) and the maximal circumferential extent of Barrett’s change from the GOJ (C).
What is the mandard score in UGI cancer?
Tumour regression post NAC TR 1 = complete response TR 5 = extensive cancer
What can cause false positive Chromogranin A?
Liver or kidney failure, inflammatory bowel disease, atrophic gastritis or chronic use of proton-pump inhibitors
Describe the complications of gastrectomy
Approximately one in four patients reports significant symptoms after gastric surgery; in 2-5%, these symptoms are disabling
-
Complications relating to anastamosis
- Leak
- Stricture
- Ulceration
- Internal hernia
-
Complications relating to motility
- Rapid transit -
- Dumping syndrome
- Early
- Late
- Post vagotomy diarrhoea
- Dumping syndrome
- Delayed transit
- Slow transit
- Gastric stasis
- Afferent loop syndrome
- Rapid transit -
-
Complications relating to remnant stomach
- Increased rates of gastric cancer after resection for benign disease
-
Nutritional deficiences
- Iron, the fat soluble vitamins, and B1 are all primarily absorbed in the duodenum and proximal jejunum
- B12 levels are reduced due to reduced acidity and also reduced levels of IF.
- Trace mineral absorption may be affected by rapid transit.
What is Correa’s hypothesis?
H. pylori infection mounts a chronic inflammatory response resulting in an increased cell turnover that, over several decades, may result in an accumulation of mitotic errors. The step-wise progression of this inflammatory process was illustrated by Correa.
How is prognosis in GIST determined?
- AFIP model (Armed forces institute of pathology)
- uses mitotic rate, size and tumour location + completeness of resection
- NIH risk stratification scheme
- uses size, mitotic counts and tumour rupture
- AJCC
- uses size (T stage), mitotic rate and tumour location
Most important:
- size (T stage) - ≤2, 2-5cm, 5-10cm, >10cm (gastric >5cm, non gastric >10cm)
- mitotic rate - <5 or ≥5 per 50 HPF
- site - gastric and omentum better prognosis than other areas
Also:
- tumour rupture
- symptoms at diagnosis
- vascular invasion
- CKIT +ve or -ve
Describe the management of bleeding and non-bleeding oesophageal varices
Primary prevention of variceal bleed:
- (reduce PVHTN)
- Beta-blockade with a non-selective agent such as Propanolol or Nadolol OR
- Endoscopic variceal ligation (better than sclerotherapy)
Secondary prevention of a re-bleed:
- As above
- Trans-jugular Intra-hepatic Porto-systemic shunt
- Liver transplantation
Bleeding varices are a life-threatening emergency associated with a 20% mortality and in those who make it to two weeks the 1-year survival is still only 50%.
Treatment outline:
- Haemodynamic resuscitation with blood products
- Correction of coagulopathy
- Broad spectrum antibiotics
- Vasoactive medication to reduce PHTN; Terlipressin most effective
- Intubation with balloon tamponade (Sengstaken-Blakemore tube)
- Banding of varices
- Trans-jugular Intra-hepatic Porto-systemic shunt
- Oesophageal stapling and shunt procedure; porto-caval, splenorenal, partial.


