Signs and symptoms of abdominal disorders

Question 1

What are common sources of bleeding in the GI tract?

Answer 1

Oesophagus: varices
Stomach: ulcers
Duodenum: ulcers
Rectum: varices and cancer

Question 2

Classical appendicitis presents with vague peri-umbilical pain which some time later localises to the right iliac fossa. Why does the pain eventually localise to the right iliac fossa?

Answer 2

Inflammation of parietal peritoneum near the appendix. The visceral peritoneum and parietal periteneum develop along different embryological paths and so the visceral peritoneum is unable to localise pain but the parietal peritoneum can. When the appendix first becomes inflamed noxious stimuli of the visceral peritoneum occurs, which because the appendix is a midgut structure , refers as vague peri-umbilical pain. However once the inflammation has progressed the parietal peritoneum in the region of the appendix can be stimulated which can localise the pain and the pain is felt more specifically in the right iliac fossa