Pathology of GI track

Question 1

What antibodies could be present in coeliac disease?

Answer 1

Antitransglutaminase/ antigliadin/ antiendomysial

antibodies.

Question 2

What are the histological findings of coeliac disease?

Answer 2

Vilious atrophy and crypt hyperplasia

Question 3

What is diverticular disease?

Answer 3

Pouch of mucosa and muscularis mucosa protruding through large bowel wall.

Sigmoid colon commonly involved.

Low fibre diet recommended.

Question 4

What are the features of Crohn’s disease?

Answer 4

1) Skip lesions
2) Trans-mural
3) Full GI track from mouth to anus
4) Granuloma formation more common
5) Cobblestone effect

Question 5

What are the features of ulcertaive colitis?

Answer 5

1) Continuous from rectum and can progress all the way to caecum
2) Mucosa and sub-mucosa only
3) Just colon
4) Loss of haustra
5) Pseudopolyps

Question 6

What is microscopic colitis?

Answer 6

Inflammation of the large intestine (colon) that causes persistent watery diarrhoea.

Can only identify the condition under the microscopic. Normal colonoscopy and typical histology.

2 subtypes: collagenous and lymphocytic

Question 7

What are synaptophysin and chromogranin?

Answer 7

Neuroendocrine markers (for appendix tumours)

Question 8

What symptoms would you expect in right vs left colorectal cancers?

Answer 8

RIGHT –> anaemia (due to mucosal ulceration), faecal content fluid, and lumen is larger

LEFT –> intestinal obstruction, faecal content solid, and lumen narrow

Question 9

What is Leiomyoma?

Answer 9

Fibroids.

Benign smooth muscle tumour that very rarely becomes cancer (0.1%).

They can occur in any organ, but the most common forms occur in the uterus, small bowel, and the oesophagus.