Step Up - GI Flashcards
What is the most common form of colorectal cancer? What is the most sensitive and specific screening tool? What cancer marker is used to track disease following treatment?
1) Adenocarcinoma
2) Colonoscopy
3) CEA
What are the risk factors for developing colorectal cancer (7)?
1) Age >60
2) Adenomatous polyps - Villous worse than tubular
3) PMHx of CRC
4) IBD - UC > Crohn’s
5) Fam Hx
6) Diet - high fat, low fiber
7) Major polyposis syndromes
Describe briefly the major polyposis syndromes (6). Focus on inheritance pattern, malignant potential, and associated symptoms.
1) Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) - AD, CRC risk is 100%, colectomy at 40.
2) Gardner syndrome - AD, FAP + bone/skin/soft tissue involvement, CRC risk 100%, colectomy at 40.
3) Turcot syndrome - AD or AR, polyps + CNS tumor
4) Peutz-Jeghers - AD, hamatomas, pigmented skin lesions, low malignant potential
5) Familial juvenile polyposis coli - Rare, childhood, small CRC risk
6) Hereditary nonpolyposis CRC - Lynch Syndrome
What are general clinical features for CRC (3)? What are clinical features specific to right (4)/left (3)/rectal (3)?
1) General - abdo pain, wt loss, blood in stool
2) Right - RLQ mass, occult blood, melena, anemia
3) Left - change in caliber, change in BM haboits, hematochezia
4) Rectal - hematochezia, tenesmus, rectal mass
What is the appropriate treatment and follow-up to CRC (4)
1) Surgical resection of affected bowel and lymphnodes
2) Annual CT and CXR for 5 years after
3) Colonoscopy at 1 year, then every 3 years
4) Track CEA every 3-6 months
- Radiation therapy useful in rectal cancer
Rank the malignant potential of the adenomatous polyps from most to least malignant (3).
Villous > Tubulovillous > Tubular
What are the risk factors for diverticulosis (2)? What are the clinical features (4)? What is the diagnostic test of choice? What are the complications (2)?
1) low-fiber diet, fam Hx
2) Clinically - usually asymptomatic, LLQ discomfort, bloating, diarrhea/constipation
3) Barium enema
4) Painless rectal bleeding, diverticulitis
What are the clinical features of diverticulitis (3)? What tests are indicated and contra-indicated in the work-up? What are the potential complications (4)? What are the appropriate treatments (2)?
1) Clinically - fever, leukocytosis, LLQ pain
2) CT abdo/pelvis. Contra: Barium enema and colonoscopy
3) Complications - abscess, fistula, perforation, obstruction
4) IV Abx and bowel rest. Surgery if complicated course
List and briefly describe the four types of acute mesenteric ischemia.
1) Arterial embolism - cardiac origin
2) Arterial thrombosis - occlusion over pre-existing atherosclerotic disease
3) Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia - Splanchnic vasoconstriction due to low CO
4) Venous thrombosis - hypercoagulable state, many causes.
- typically occur in superior mesenteric vessels.
What are the clinical features of acute mesenteric ischemia (5)?
1) Pain worse than suggested by physical findings
2) Anorexia/Vomiting
3) GI bleed
4) Peritonitis
5) Sepsis/Shock
How is acute mesenteric ischemia diagnosed? What is the treatment (5)?
1) Mesenteric angiogram
2) Tx: IV fluids and broad-spectrum Abx
3) If vasoconstrictive - vasodilator intra-arterial injection
4) If embolic - thrombolytics or embolectomy
5) If venous thrombosis - Heparin
6) Surgery for dead tissue (perforation)
What vessels are affected in chronic mesenteric ischemia (3)? What activity typically precipitates an episode of pain? What is the Tx?
1) Celiac, superior and inferion mesenteric artery occlusion due to atherosclerosis
2) Eating
3) revascularization surgery
What is ogilvie syndrome? Who does it effect? What are the treatments (3)?
1) SSx of large bowel obstruction, with no mechanical obstruction present
2) The ill elderly
3) Stop offending medical agent, decompress with enema or colonoscopy, NG suction.
What are the most common offending Abx leading to pseudomembranous colitis?
1) clindamycin
2) Ampicillin
3) Cephalosporins
What is the cause of pseudomembranous colitis? What are the clinical features (3)? How is it diagnosed? How is it treated (2)?
1) C. diff
2) watery diarrhea, crampy abdo pain, toxic megacolon
3) C diff toxins in stool
4) Metronidazole > Vancomycin
Describe the types of colonic volvuli (2). What are the clinical features (3)? How are they treated (2)?
1) Sigmoid (75%) or Cecal (25%)
2) Clinically - colicky abdo pain, abdo distention, anorexia/nausea/vomiting
3) Tx:
a) Sigmoid - sigmoidoscopy is both diagnostic and therapeutic. Elective sigmoid resection as recurrence is high
b) Cecal - Emergency surgery
Liver cirrhosis leads to destruction of liver anatomical architecture. As a result portal HTN and biochemical dysfunction can result. Discuss the clinical features of portal HTN (4), and biochemical dysfunction (2).
1) Portal HTN - ascites, peripheral edema, splenomegaly, varicose veins (gastric, esophageal, anal)
2) Biochemical - reduced albumin and clotting factor synthesis
What 5 metrics are used to determine hepatic functional reserve (Child-Pugh classification)?
1) Ascites
2) Bilirubin
3) Encephalopathy
4) INR ratio
5) Albumin
What are the most common causes of cirrhosis (2)?
1) Alcoholic liver disease
2) Chronic hep B or C infections
Outline the treatment for acutely bleeding esophageal varices (4). What is the long-term therapy?
1) Variceal ligation/banding
2) Endoscopic scleotherapy
3) IV octreotide - reduces portal HTN
4) Esophageal balloon tamponade
- B-blocker for long-term care to prevent rebleed
What are the complications associated with liver failure (hint: AC, 9H) (11)?
1) Ascites
2) Coagulopathy
3) Hypoalbuminemia
4) Portal HTN
5) Hyperammonemia
6) Hepatic encephalopathy
7) Hepatorenal syndrome
8) Hypoglycemia
9) Hyperbilirubinemia
10) Hyperestrinism
11) HCC
Provide the clinical features of hepatic encephalopathy associated with liver disease (4).
1) Decreased LOC - confusion, poor concentration, coma
2) Asterixis - flapping tremor
3) Rigidity/hyperreflexia
4) Fetor hepaticus - musty odor of breath
How is hepatic encephalopathy treated (3)?
1) Lactulose - prevents ammonia absorption in GI tract
2) Rifaximin - Abx to kill gut flora, decrease ammonia production
3) Diet - limit protein to 30-40 g/day
What are the clinical features suggestive of hyperestrinism secondary to liver failure (4)?
1) Spider angiomas
2) Palmar errythema
3) Gynecomastia
4) Testicular atrophy
How are the coagulopathies of liver failure treated? What lab marker is abnormal?
1) Fresh frozen plasm
2) PT prolonged
- vit K doesn’t work as liver is diseased
What is Wilson’s disease? What organs are affected typically (4)? How is the diagnosis made (3)? What is the treatment (2)?
1) AR, dysfunction making ceruloplasmin protein, copper aggregates in liver and other tissues
2) Organs: Liver, CNS, Renal, Cornea
3) Dx: impaired LFTs, low ceruloplasmin levels, liver biopsy with high copper conc.
4) Tx: Chelating agent, Zinc (prevent absorption)
What is Hemochromatosis? What are the complications (6)? How is the diagnosis made (3)? What is the treatment (2)?
1) AR, excess absorption of iron
2) Complications: Cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, DM, arthritis, hypogonadism, hyperpigmented skin
3) Dx:
a) High: serum iron, ferritin, transferring sat
b) Low: total iron binding capacity
c) Liver biopsy
4) Repeat phlebotomies, liver transplant if severe.
List and briefly describe 3 common benign tumors of the liver.
1) Hepatocellular adenoma - seen in women using contraceptives. Risk of rupture. D/C drugs, surgical resection if large
2) Cavernous Hemangiomas - Most common tumor of liver. Resect if mass effect present.
3) Focal nodular hyperplasia - bening, no treatment
What are the 2 pathological types of hepatocellular carcinoma? What is the most common risk factor for HCC?
1) Nonfibrolamellar - Hep B/C or cirrhosis related. Poor prognosis
2) Fibrolamellar - Not Hep B/C or cirrhosis related. Resectable, better prognosis
3) RF: Cirrhosis
What are the clinical features of HCC (3)? How is it diagnosed (2)? How is it treated (2)?
1) SSx:
a) Constitutional - anorexia, fatigue, wt loss
b) Abdo pain
c) signs of liver disease - ascites, jaundice, splenomegaly
2) Dx: Biopsy, track AFP
3) Tx: resection possible in very few cases, liver transplant, local chemo/rad. Poor outcomes.
Describe the two most common liver abscesses in terms of their pathophys, diagnosis, and treatment.
1) Pyogenic liver abscess
a) Due to obstruction and ascension up biliary tree.
b) Dx: U/S or CT
c) IV Abx, percutaneous drainage
2) Amebic Liver abscess
a) fecal-oral transmission, intestinal amebiasis
b) dx: U/S or CT, stool O+P
c) Percutaneous drainage, IV metronidazole
- both life threatening if not treated
What is Budd-Chiari Syndrome? What is seen clinically (4)? How is it treated?
1) Patho: occlusion of hepatic outflow leading to congestion
2) Clinical: looks like cirrhosis, ascites, abdo pain, jaundice
3) Surgery - balloon angioplasty and stent
Discuss the impact of hyperbilirubinemia on urine - how does this change with conjugated vs unconjugated billis?
1) Conjugated - loosely bound to albumin, excreted in urine - thus urine is dark
2) Unconjugated - bound to albumin and not water soluble, does not exit in urine - thus no change.
- unconjugate billi can cross BBB, thus toxic
What are the causes of unconjugated billirubinemia (4)?
1) Increased production - hemolytic anemia
2) Impaired conjugation
a) Gilbert Syndrome - AD, benign
b) Crigler-Najjar Syndrome - severe, toxic
3) Drugs - sulfa drugs, radiocontrast