Upper GI Anatomy Flashcards
Basic architecture of GI wall:
- Four main layers:
1) mucosa -
a) epithelium on basal lamina - stratified squamous in proximal and anal canal bu everything inbetween is simple columnar
b) lamina propria - has lymphatics
- ALL GLANDS EXCEPT DUODENAL AND ESOPHAGUS
c) muscularis mucosae
2) submucosa - - has lymphatics
- HAS GLANDS ONLY DUODENUM AND ESOPHAGUS
3) muscularis externa/propria - inner circular
- outer longitudinal
4) Serosa - esophagus has adventitia - no mesothelium
Submucosal (Meissners) Plexus:
a) parasympathetic postganglionic neurons and their processes and sympathetic postganglionic fibers; b) regulates:
- the activity of the muscularis mucosae,
- the secretory activity of glands, and blood flow.
**-muscular contractions, glands, and blood flow
Myenteric (auerback’s) plexus:
a) parasympathetic postganglionic neurons and sympathetic postganglionic fibers;
b) regulates the activity of the muscularis externa (inbetween circular and longitudinal muscular layer)
-controls peristalsis
- Achalasia-
- what happens?
- What components involved?
- appearance term?
- distal esophagus- loss of inhibitory neurons that make up the myentic plexuc - relax the smooth muscle (hyperpolarize) after you swallow.
- So if these nerves arent working you get a lot of contraction of distal esophagus = birds beak appearance
*Hirschsprung disease
-rectum
Barretts Esophagus
- metaplasia stratified squamous to simple columnar with goblet cells (mucous secretion for protection)
- z-line demarcation between stomach and esophagus is not clear
How to confirm Barretts esophagus?
Need to see goblet cells with alcian blue stain - stains acidic muco-substances
What third of the esophagus is most likely to harbor an adenocarcinoma?
distal third - usually due to barretts
What third of the esophagus is most likely to harbor a squamous cell carcinoma?
middle third!
due to alcohol and or tobacco use
What type of esophageal cancer would most likely cause hoarseness?
SCC - why? Bc recurrent alryngeal nerve loops around aorta right around the middle third of the esophagus where SCC would most likely occur
Esophageal constriction areas:
i. At level of UES (junction of esophagus with pharynx - cricopharyngeus muscle)
ii. At level of aortic arch
iii. At level of left primary (main) bronchus
iv. Diaphragmatic where esophagus passes through esophageal hiatus (level of T10) of diaphragm
Endoscopy - relationship to esophageal constrictions?
- need to be cautious with constrictions to not penetrate wall of esophagus at junctions
Pill esophagitis - relationship to esophageal constrictions? Age group most affected?
- pills can get lodged at constriction areas = may cause irritation and inflammation
- elderly most affected- their esophagus has less motility and decreased saliva (lubrication)
Esophageal diverticula:
1) weakness exists where in the wall?
2) name of diverticulum formed?
- cricopharyngeus and thyropharyngeus muscles have a transition area between them = Killian triangle.
- Pharyngoesophageal (Zenker’s) diverticulum (70%) - rotting food that gets stuck there or endoscopy can poke through easy
Where would you ligate the inferior thyroid artery when performing a thyroidectomy?
- need to maintain arterial supply to esophagus (provided by inf thyroid artery) so you need to ligate at an area AFTER the cervical branch to the esophagus has been given off.
esophageal varicies and veins
-when?
- usually with hepatic portal hypertension -liver cirrhosis
- blood trying to get back to heart but cant go through liver = use esophageal veins so veins are huge = could burst = spitting/vomiting blood
Where do lymph and metastatic cells flow more readily?
-significance of these areas of flow?
-in the submucosal lymphatic channels
- submucosal lymphatics arranged longitudinally so the metastatic cells can spread far crainially and caudally
- (neck, mediastinum, and abdominal cavity can be affected)
lymph flow from upper third of esophagus goes..
to the neck LN
lymph flow from lower 2/3 goes to?
to abdominal LN such as celiac LN
What is a chylothorax?
During esophageal surgery if the thoracic duct is damaged (passes behind the esophagus) then lymph will leak into abdominal cavity
gastrin secreting cells are located in? what does gastrin do?
- pyloric glands
- stimulates parietal cells (in glands of fundus and body of stomach) to secrete HCl
Ulcer - stomach:
inflammation in the wall of the stomach that can invade all layers of the stomach
If inflammation is confined to mucosa of stomach we call it a
erosion
Once inflammation in stomach gets into submucosa we call it a(n)?
ulcer
Cause of most ulcers?
H pylori
How do we treat stomach ulcers that are refractory (not responding to therapy)?
- remove pylorus
- why? contain gastrin secreting cells
What landmark is used to distinguish body of stomach from pylorus region?
the angular notch
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
-what is it? problem?
parietal cell tumor in gastrinoma triangle - secretes a lot of gastrin = a lot of HCl = really low pH = ulcers
Gastrinoma triangle boudaries?
- where cystic and hepatic ducts meet
- where the second part of duodenum meets thrid part of duodenum
- where the body/neck area of the pancreas