Keywords: Chapter 13, Gastrointestinal Tract
Achalasia:
Failure of relaxation of the smooth muscle fibers at the gastroesophageal junction and the absence of peristalsis in the body of the esophagus
Acute Gastritis:
Acute inflammation of the gastric mucosa. When accompanied by multiple small superficial mucosal erosions or ulcerations, the term erosive gastritis is used
Angiodysplasia:
Degenerative disease in which malformed vessels are present in the submucosa and extend into the overlying mucosa, commonly in the right colon and cause major lower GI bleed
Appendicitis, acute:
Acute inflammatory disease of the vermiform appendix
Atresia:
An error of morphogenesis resulting in incomplete formation of a lumen
Barrett Esophagus:
Replacement of the squamous epithelium of the esophagus by columnar epithelium secondary to chronic gastroesophageal reflux
Carcinoid Syndrome:
Clinical condition in which amines and hormones synthesized by carcinoid tumors reach the systemic circulation and produce episodic attacks of sweating, flushing, cyanosis of the face, wheezing or asthma-like attacks, diarrhea and right-sided heart failure due to valvular disease
Carcinoid Tumor:
Tumors derived from neuroendocrine cells and having a distinct histologic appearance
Celiac Sprue:
Disease characterized by malabsorption with villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia resulting from sensitivity to gluten ( protein found in wheat, barley, rye and buckwheat )
Chronic Gastritis:
Chronic inflammatory diseases of the stomach that range from mild superficial gastritis to gastric atrophy
Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease:
Chronic inflammatory disease of the bowel of unknown etiology, also referred to as "IBD". Ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease are two subsets of IBD
Crohn Disease:
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology characterized by transmural inflammation
Curling Ulcers:
Stress ulcers of stomach occurring in severely burned patients
Cushing Ulcer:
Stress ulcers of stomach associated with trauma to the central nervous system
D-Xylose Absorption Test:
A test for malabsorption. D-Xylose is a 5 - carbon sugar absorbed in the duodenum and jejunum. 25 gms of xylose is given orally and urinary excretion in the next 5 hours calculated. Normally greater than 5 gms of xylose is excreted in the urine. In sprue and sprue like conditions urinary excretion is lowered due to impaired absorption.
Diverticula:
Outpouching of the bowel wall, most common where the mesentery joins the colon, and in the area of highest intra-luminal pressure (the sigmoid colon).
Duke Staging of colon cancer:
Commonly-used clinical staging system for colon cancer, based upon the extent of invasion of the cancer at the primary site.
Dysphagia:
Difficulty in swallowing.
Dysplasia:
Premalignant change characterized by alteration in the size, shape and organization of the cellular components of a tissue.
Esophageal Varices
Dilated veins beneath the esophageal mucosa which are prone to rupture and hemorrhage.
Familial Polyposis:
Hereditary, autosomal dominant pre-cancerous syndrome characterized by innumerable adenomatous polyps of the colon.
Gardener Syndrome:
Familial polyposis associated with osteomas of the skull and mandible, epidermal cysts & soft tissue tumors
Gastritis, atrophic:
A form of chronic gastritis in which the inflammation extends deeper and involves the lamina propria between the gastric glands
Gastritis, autoimmune:
Chronic gastritis restricted to the body and fundus and associated with autoimmune phenomena such as presence of antibodies directed towards the parietal cells and/or the Intrinsic factor
Gastritis, chronic idiopathic:
Chronic inflammation of the stomach of unkown etiology
Helicobacter pylori:
Gram-negative, spiral-shaped organisms that infect gastric mucosa. Infection by these organisms have been associated with chronic non-erosive gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric non-Hodgkin's MALT lymphomas
Hemorrhoids:
Dilated venous channels of hemorrhoidal plexuses that result from the downward displacement of the anal cushions
Hiatal Hernia:
Protrusion of part of the stomach through the esophageal hiatus into the thorax.
Hirschsprung Disease:
Colonic dilatation resulting from congenital absence of the enteric nervous system along varying lengths of the rectum and distal colon
Hypergastrinemia:
Increased production of gastrin
Hyperplastic Polyp:
Non-neoplastic sessile mucosal excrescences displaying exaggerated crypt architecture
Inflammatory Polyp:
Non-neoplastic polyps composed of chronic inflammatory infiltrates and regenerating epithelium seen in ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or amebic colitis.
Intestinal Metaplasia:
Replacement of normal epithelium by intestinal type. Seen in the esophagus and the stomach.
Intrinsic Factor:
Factor secreted by parietal cells which facilitates the absorption of vitamin B12
Intussusception:
One segment of bowel ( intussusceptum ) protrudes into the immediate distal segment of bowel ( intussuscipiens ) resulting in obstruction and infarction
Ischemic enteritis or colitis:
Ischemic injury to the small bowel or the colon
Juvenile polyp:
Hamartomatous polyp of the colonic mucosa commonly seen in the rectum
Malabsorption:
Inadequate absorption of one or more nutrients from the small intestine
Meckel Diverticulum:
Congenital sacculation on the antimesenteric border of the ileum caused by persistence of the vitelline duct
Mediterranean Lymphoma:
Immuno-proliferative disorder of the small intestine in which the plasmacytoid lymphocytes synthesize one of the heavy chains of the immunoglobulins ( commonly it is the alpha chain, hence called alpha chain disease )
Megacolon:
Colonic dilatation resulting from congenital or acquired causes.
Mucocele:
Dilated structure filled with mucus
Odynophagia:
Pain on swallowing.
Peptic Ulcer:
Chronic ulcer that may occur in any portion of the gastrointestinal tract exposed to the aggressive action of acid-peptic juices.
Pernicious Anemia:
Megaloblastic anemia associated with achlorhydria and malabsorption of vitamin B12
Peutz-Jegher Syndrome:
Autosomal dominant hereditary disorder characterized by hamartomatous polyps of the gastrointestinal tract and pigmented macules involving the mucous membranes and skin
Plummer-Vinson Syndrome:
Dysphagia with postcricoid esophageal webs and iron deficiency anemia
Pseudomembranous Colitis:
Inflammatory disease of the colon characterized by exudative plaques superimposed on a congested and edematous mucosa
Psuedomyxoma peritonei:
Seeding of the peritoneal cavity by mucus-secreting cells
Pyloric stenosis:
Concentric enlargement of the pylorus and narrowing of the pyloric canal that obstructs the outlet of the stomach
Reflux Esophagitis:
Esophageal injury caused by the regurgitation of gastric contents into the lower esophagus
Schatzki Ring:
Lower esophageal narrowing seen at the junction of squamo-columnar epithelium
Steatorrhea:
Excessive excretion of fat in the feces
Stress Ulcers:
Localized acute ulcers commonly seen in the stomach secondary to "stress" such as burns, trauma, shock, head injuries.
Superficial Gastritis:
Mild form of chronic gastritis in which the chronic inflammatory infiltrate is present in the upper third of the gastric mucosa
Transmural Inflammation:
Inflammation involving the entire thickness of the bowel wall, a pathognomonic feature of Chrohn disease.
Tropical Sprue (Post-infectious Sprue):
Celiac sprue-like condition, endemic in tropical countries probably of infectious etiology and responds to broad spectrum antibiotics.
Tubular Adenoma:
A benign neoplastic polyp composed of closely packed epithelial tubules
Ulcerative Colitis:
A chronic inflammatory bowel disease involving the colon characterized by chronic diarrhea and rectal bleeding with exacerbations and remissions.
Villous Adenoma:
A benign neoplastic polyp composed of thin, tall, fingerlike processes that resemble villi.
Volvulus
A segment of gut twists on its mesentery resulting in intestinal obstruction and interruption of blood supply.
Whipple Disease:
A systemic disease probably caused by an actinomycete - Tropheryma whippelii. The organism has never been cultured, but has been tentatively identified and named by analysis of its DNA. The disease is characterized by intestinal and/or extra-intestinal symptoms. Malabsorption is due to the presence of numerous macrophages, packed with the bacteria, in the lamina propria of the small bowel.
Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome:
Parietal cell hyperplasia with hypergastrinemia and peptic ulceration of duodenum or proximal jejunum due to gastrin producing pancreatic or nonpancreatic tumor