Pancreas Flashcards
What is acute pancreatitis?
An acute inflammatory condition in which pancreatic enzymes auto digest the gland. The disease can be relatively mild and self limiting or very serious. Main causative factors of pancreatitis in the UK are galls tones and alcohol. Other causes include certain drugs, infection and trauma.
What is chronic pancreatitis?
Ongoing inflammation of the pancreas leading to destruction of the exocrine and endocrine functions. In the UK alcohol abuse is the commonest cause. Patients usually present with recurrent abdominal pain, diabetes mellitus, weight loss (due to malabsorption) and steatorrhoea (incomplete breakdown of fats in the diet).
What cells in the pancreas produce bicarbonate?
Centroacinar cells.
What colour does Masson’s trichrome stain collagen?
Green.
What is secretin-pancreozymin test?
Gold standard pancreatic function test. Measures pancreatic enzymes ie. trypsin in duodenum aspirate over 2 hours.
What is a Lundh test?
A test to measure exocrine pancreatic function. Measures bicarb, amylase or trypsin activity following a meal.
How do bile salts promote emulsification?
The hydrophobic portion binds to and disperses large triglyceride lipid droplets. Hydrophilic portion prevents large droplets reforming. This increases the surface area on which trigylceride lipase can act.
What is emulsification?
The breakdown of large lipid droplets into small uniformly distributed droplets.
What is the sphincter of Oddi?
Muscular valve that controls flow of bile and pancreatic fluid into the duodenum.
What does secretin do?
Stimulates duct cells in the liver to release bicarbonate into the bile.
