Abdominal Key

Appendix Disease & Meckel’s Diverticulum DEFINITION: Appendicitis: Inflammation of the appendix Carcinoid tumor: most common tumor of appendix; requires surgical removal See also Bowel-Carcinoid Tumors (Chapter 2.08) Meckel’s Diverticulum: congenital…

Anorectal Diseases TAKE A GOOD HISTORY: Key questions: Bowel movement quality, Anal pain (± with bowel movements), Bleeding, Prolapse/mass HEMORRHOIDS (Gastroenterology 2004;126:1461-62 & 1463-73) Symptomatic involvement of vascular cushions in…

Abdominal Pain: Chronic DEFINITION: Pain that has remained unchanged for months or years can be safely classified as ‘chronic’ Divided into diagnosable (intermittent or constant) and undiagnosable Chronic undiagnosed abdominal…

Abdominal Pain: Acute DEFINITION: Pain less than a few days that has worsened progressively until time of presentation is ‘acute’ Characterized by severe pain, often rapid onset, that prevents bodily…

Abdominal Pain: General DEFINITION: No clear definitions of acute vs. chronic abdominal pain Pain less than a few days that has worsened progressively until time of presentation is ‘acute’ Characterized…

Potpourri GASTRIC PHYSIOLOGY (ACID SECRETION) Gastric juice is a combination of parietal (acid) and non-parietal secretions Parietal cell, located in fundus, secrete gastric acid (HCL) and intrinsic factor (IF) Stimulant…

Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (Gastrinoma) DEFINITION: A syndrome characterized by ulceration of the upper jejunum, hypersecretion of gastric acid, and nonbeta islet cell tumors of the pancreas Unlike typical peptic ulcer disease,…

Schatzki’s Ring/esophageal Spasm (Gastroenterology 1999;117:229-32 & 233-54) SCHATZKI’S RING Definition: Three types of rings: A: muscular in origin, occurs about 2 cm proximal to GEJ B (Schatzki’s): mucosal in origin,…

Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD): H. Pylori, Nsaids (Lancet 2002;360:933-41. N Engl J Med 2002;347:1175-86. Am J Gastroenterol 1998;93:2037-46 & 2330-38) DEFINITION: Ulcer: Mucosal break of the stomach or duodenum that…

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Tubes (Am J Gastroenterol 2003;98:272-7. Endoscopy 1998;30:781-89. Gastroenterology 1995;108:1282-1301) INDICATIONS: In general, patients should have a functional GI tract and anticipated life expectancy >30 days Malnutrition/poor…