Term
| major functions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract |
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Definition
| digestion and movement of food, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of wastes. |
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Definition
| the coordinated contraction of the smooth muscle that lines the entire intestinal tract. |
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| Stimulation of peristalsis |
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Definition
| involves both neural and hormonal mechanisms |
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Definition
| (failure to develop properly) of the esophagus. |
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Definition
| an abnormal connection between two organs or two different parts of the same organ. |
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Definition
| , air passing into the trachea from normal breathing may find its way into the esophagus. This can lead to bloating due to massive amounts of air accumulating in the stomach. Also, swallowed food may get into the lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia. |
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Definition
| abnormal development of esophagus leading to a dead end, not to the stomach. |
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Definition
| difficulty swallowing; a sense that food is "stuck. |
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Definition
| burning retrosternal pain commonly called "heartburn" |
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Definition
| usually due to reflux; infections are a rarer cause. |
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Definition
| Metaplastic condition, in which the normal squamous epithelium is replaced by epithelium that appears glandular and columnar, similar to the epithelium that lines the stomach and intestine. |
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Definition
| a defect in the opening of the diaphragm that allows part of the stomach to protrude into the thoracic cavity. |
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Definition
| are seen in immunocompromised patients and involve opportunistic organisms, e.g., herpesviruses, cytomegalovirus, Candida |
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Definition
| a dilated, tortuous vein. |
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Definition
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Definition
| the passage of black, tarry stools |
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Term
| initial symptoms of Esophageal carcinoma |
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Definition
| often very nonspecific, making early diagnosis difficult. Symptoms may include dysphagia (due to obliteration of the lumen by the tumor), weight loss, hematemesis as the tumor erodes into vessels, and pain. |
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Term
| Esophageal Carcinomas in the U.S. |
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Definition
| a relatively large proportion occurs lower in the esophagus; these tend to be adenocarcinomas that originate in Barrett esophagus |
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Term
| acquired tracheo-esophageal fistulas |
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Definition
| Tumors may ulcerate into adjacent structures, such as the trachea |
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Definition
| esophagus joins the stomach |
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Definition
| upper part of the stomach |
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Definition
| the central part of the stomach. |
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Definition
| lower section of the stomach. |
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Definition
| located where the antrum joins the duodenum, and it controls movement of substances from the stomach to the duodenum |
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Definition
| make digestive enzymes, such as pepsinogen, which is converted into pepsin in the lumen of the stomach. |
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Definition
| The inactive, precursor forms of digestive enzymes. |
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Definition
| make hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor, which is needed for the absorption of Vitamin B12. |
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Term
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Definition
| which secrete the hormone gastrin, which in turn stimulates parietal cells to make HCl. |
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Term
| Secretion of acid by the parietal cells is controlled by... |
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Definition
| neural stimulation via acetylcholine, which can be triggered by the smell or taste of food or by distention of the stomach; gastrin, which is made by the G cells; and histamine, which is produced by mast cells. |
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Term
| The health of the gastric mucosa is maintained |
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Definition
| a normal flow of blood, normal production of acid and bicarbonate (the latter of which is produced in the distal stomach and duodenum), and normal secretion of gastrin. |
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Term
| Destruction of the gastric mucosa is promoted by |
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Definition
| by infection with Helicobacter pylori (formerly known as Campylobacter), increased production of acid, substances such as aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, smoking, and ischemia |
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Term
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Definition
| a relatively severe but short-lived inflammation, usually resulting from exposure to an irritant such as alcohol or aspirin. |
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Term
| Symptoms of acute gastritis may include |
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Definition
| pain, nausea, and hematemesis. |
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Definition
| often mediated by H. pylori. |
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Term
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Definition
| Rarely, chronic gastritis has this immunological cause |
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Term
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Definition
| arise as an extension of acute gastritis or from severe physiological stress to the body, such as major trauma or surgery, a severe head injury, or hypotensive shock |
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Definition
| are deep, chronic ulcers that are often solitary and bigger than stress ulcers. |
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Term
| Acute ulcers have these qualities. |
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Definition
| often small but multiple, and they may cause massive bleeding. These ulcers tend to resolve quickly once the source of the stress is removed. |
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Term
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Definition
| erode into an artery in the stomach or duodenal wall, leading to hemorrhage, or they may even bore completely through the wall, resulting in massive peritonitis. The most common complication is an upper GI bleed, which accounts for 25% of deaths from ulcers. |
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Term
| acid (proton) pump inhibitors or drugs that block H2 receptors for histamine. |
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Definition
| Treatment is directed toward decreasing production of acid, in patient's with chronic ulcers. |
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Definition
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Definition
| give the stomach a stiff, "leather-bottle" quality |
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Definition
| infections of the stomach and/or small intestine. |
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Term
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Definition
| Infections are the most common maladies, and the most common manifestation of these is diarrhea. |
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Definition
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Definition
| When these people eat wheat, the cells that transport gliadin from the gut are attacked by T cytotoxic lymphocytes, resulting in damage to these intestinal absorptive cells. |
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Term
| Appendicitis usually develops due |
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Definition
| an obstruction at the base of the appendix, such as food, fecolith (hardened stool), or hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue. |
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Definition
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Definition
| needs to be treated surgically before rupture of the organ occurs. Rupture can result in acute peritonitis due to spillage of intestinal contents. |
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Term
| Crohn’s disease (also called regional enteritis) and ulcerative colitis |
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Definition
Both are chronic, relapsing diseases.
Both affect women more frequently than men and are seen most often in people in their 20’s.
Both cause intermittent diarrhea.
The severity of both diseases is quite variable, ranging from a single mild episode to chronic, severe disease. The response to therapy is also variable. |
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Term
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Definition
It can affect the GI tract anywhere from the mouth to the anus, but, most typically, the small intestine and/or colon are involved.
It causes transmural inflammation, affecting all layers of the intestinal wall.
It is characterized by patchy, discontinuous inflammation ("skip areas").
Granulomas (collections of macrophages) are typically seen; these may spread to lymph nodes.
Fistulas tend to form, either between loops of bowel or with the skin, bladder, or vagina.
Elongated, linear ulcerations give the intestinal wall a "cobblestone" appearance.
May cause fibrosis, resulting in narrowing of the intestinal lumen. |
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Term
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Definition
It almost invariably involves the rectum; from there it may involve variable lengths of the distal colon.
Inflammation is usually confined to the mucosal layer.
Inflammation is usually continuous, with no skip areas.
Long-standing, severe ulcerative colitis increases the risk of developing colon cancer. About 10% of patients with severe UC get colon cancer; in contrast, there is only a very slight increased risk with Crohn’s disease. Colon cancer developing in the setting of ulcerative colitis is hard to diagnose, as inflammation may obscure the signs and symptoms produced by the tumor. |
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Definition
| absorption of water and electrolytes and production of the waste product known as stool. |
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Term
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Definition
| an abnormal outpouching of the lining and wall of the colon. It occurs more commonly in the distal colon. |
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Definition
| Inflammation of the diverticuli |
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Definition
Hyperplastic
Villous
Adenomatous |
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Term
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Definition
| little or no malignant potential |
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Term
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Definition
| occasionally become malignant. Some adenomatous polyps are attached to the intestinal wall by a stalk and are called pedunculated. Others sit right on the mucosal lining and are referred to as sessile. |
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Term
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Definition
| Some adenomatous polyps are attached to the intestinal wall by a stalk |
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Definition
| sit right on the mucosal lining |
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Term
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Definition
| 35% of these are associated with cancer |
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Term
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Definition
| second most common cancer in the US, with some 150,000 cases and 60,000 deaths each year. |
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Term
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Definition
| Most cancers of the colon occur in the distal colon; 50 to 60% occur in the rectum. They tend to metastasize to regional lymph nodes or to the liver through the portal system. |
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Term
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Definition
| The spread (i.e., stage) of colon cancers is classified by |
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Term
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Definition
| the least invasion and are located mostly in the mucosa and submucosa. |
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Term
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Definition
| show local invasion deep into the wall of the colon, |
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Term
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Definition
| extension and spread to local nodes. |
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