INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE Flashcards Preview

GASTRO-INTESTINAL MEDICINE AND HEPATOLOGY > INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE > Flashcards

Flashcards in INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE Deck (40)
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0
Q

What is Crohn’s disease?

A

A chronic inflammatory GI disease characterised by transmural granulomatous inflammation affecting any part of the gut from mouth to anus.

1
Q

What is ulcerative colitis?

A

A relapsing and remitting inflammatory disorder of the colonic mucosa primarily affecting the colon and rectum.

2
Q

What are the two main parts of the GI tract affected by Crohn’s?

A

The terminal ileum and the proximal colon.

3
Q

What is the difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s in terms of the spread of disease within the GIT?

A

Ulcerative colitis starts in the rectum and spreads proximally. Crohn’s can develop anywhere in the GIT and diseased areas are separated by areas of unaffected GIT (skip lesions).

4
Q

Which form of IBD is more associated with bloody diarrhoea? Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis?

A

Ulcerative colitis

5
Q

In ulcerative colitis, what might be mixed with the patient’s stool along with blood?

A

Mucus

7
Q

How might someone with suspected Crohn’s disease present? (Name at least 4 symptoms)

A
Abdominal pain
Diarrhoea
Urgency to go to the loo
Foul smelling diarrhoea 
Weight loss
Vomiting
Fever
Malaise
Anorexia
Mouth ulcers
8
Q

On examination, what are some of the signs associated with Crohn’s?

A
Clubbing
Tenderness
Mouth uclers
Right iliac fossa pain
Anaemia
Anal and perianal complications
Extragastro-intestinal features associated with CD:
Uveitis
Conjunctivitis
Athropathy
Arthralgia
Ankylosing spondylitis
Inflammatory back pain
Erythema nodosum
Pyoderma gangrenosum
9
Q

What do we call inflammatory bowel disease that cannot be definitively classified as either ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease?

A

Colitis of undetermined type and etiology (CUTE)

10
Q

In terms of epidemiology, what ethnic group is most prone to IBD?

A

Jewish people

11
Q

Which sex is more often affected by IBD?

A

Females

12
Q

How is age related to severity of inflammatory bowel disease?

A

It is thought that those who develop symptoms earlier in life will experience more aggressive and extensive disease

13
Q

What is the largest independent risk factor for development of IBD?

A

Having a family member with the disease

14
Q

How is hygiene related to Crohn’s disease?

A

Good domestic hygiene has been shown to be a risk factor for CD. A ‘clean’ environment may not expose the intestinal immune system to pathogenic or non-pathogenic mircoorganisms such as helminths which seems to alter the balance between effector and regulatory immune responses.

15
Q

How is smoking related to ulcerative colitis?

A

Smoking has been shown to be protective against ulcerative colitis. Non- and ex-smokers are more at risks of developing ulcerative colitis, whereas one trial has actually shown that nicotine can be an effective treatment.

16
Q

How is smoking related to Crohn’s disease?

A

Smoking is a risk factor for CD, and sufferers are more likely to be smokers. Smoking increases the risk of disease recurrence after surgery.

17
Q

How are NSAIDs related to inflammatory bowel disease?

A

NSAID ingestion is associated with both the onset of IBD and flares of disease.

18
Q

What psychological factors may be associated with inflammatory bowel disease?

A

Chronic stress and depression seem to increase relapses in patients with quiescent disease.

19
Q

How is a previous appendectomy related to the development of Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis?

A

Appendectomy may be protective for the development of UC. In contrast, appendectomy may increase the risk of development of CD.

20
Q

What do we call ulcerative colitis that affects only the rectum?

A

Proctitis

21
Q

What are the histological differences between inflammation and ulceration in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?

A

Inflammation is transmural in CD, whereas only the mucosa is affected in UC.

22
Q

Are granulomas more associated with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?

A

Crohn’s disease

23
Q

Are goblet cells more affected by Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?

A

Goblet cells are depleted in ulcerative colitis

24
Q

Are crypt abscesses more associated with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?

A

They are seen in both but are more present in ulcerative colitis

25
Q

What type of polyp is associated with inflammatory bowel disease?

A

Inflammatory polyps or pseudopolyps. They are in general benign with no cancer potential.

26
Q

Are the granulomas associated with Crohn’s disease caseating or non-caseating?

A

Non-caseating epitheloid cell aggregates

27
Q

Are anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) more associated with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?

A

Ulcerative colitis

28
Q

Are anti-Sacchoromyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) more associated with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?

A

Crohn’s disease

29
Q

What should form the rest of your differential diagnosis when presented with someone displaying the signs and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease?

A
Infective causes of diarrhoea (eg C. difficile)
Behcet's disease
Diverticular disease
Ischaemic colitis
Gastrointestinal lymphoma
Carcinoma of the bowel
Irritable bowel syndrome
Ileocolonic TB is common in developing countries which makes a diagnosis of CD difficult.
30
Q

What are the extragastrointestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease which affect the eyes?

A

Uveitis
Conjunctivitis
Episcleritis

31
Q

What are the extragastrointestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease which affect the joints?

A
Type I (pauciarticular) arthropathy
Type II (polyarticular) arthropathy
Arthralgia
Ankylosing spondylitis
Inflammatory back pain
32
Q

What are the extragastrointestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease which affect the skin?

A

Erythema nodosum

Pyoderma gangrenosum

33
Q

What are the extragastrointestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease which affect the biliary tree and liver?

A
Sclerosing cholangitis
Fatty liver
Chronic hepatitis
Cirrhosis
Gallstones
34
Q

What are the anal and perianal complications of Crohn’s disease?

A
Fissure in ano
Haemorrhoids
Skin tags
Ischiorectal abscess
Fistula in ano (bladder, vagina)
Anorectal fistulae
35
Q

What investigations should be undertaken into someone with suspected Crohn’s disease?

A
Bloods tests (FBC, ESR, CRP, LFTs, pANCA)
Blood cultures
Stool cultures
Colonscopy
Upper GI endoscopy
Capsule endoscopy
Abdominal CT
Perianal MRI or Endoanal US
36
Q

What might blood tests in someone with Crohn’s reveal?

A

Anaemia - maybe normochromic/normocytic but can also be caused by iron or folate deficiency due to malabsorption. Interestingly B12 deficiency is rarely seen.

Raised ERS
Raised CRP
Raised WCC
Raised platelets
Hypoalbuminaemia
Liver biochemistry may be abnormal
pANCA will be negative
37
Q

When should colonoscopy not be performed in Crohn’s patients?

A

When colonic involvement is not suspected

In those presenting with severe disease

38
Q

What may be seen during colonoscopy of someone with Crohn’s disease with colonic involvement?

A

Vary from patchy superficial apthous ulceration to more widespread larger and deeper ulcers producing a cobblestone appearance.

39
Q

What may be seen in small bowel imaging of someone with Crohn’s disease?

A

Asymmetrical alteration in the mucosal pattern with deep ulceration and areas of narrowing or stricturing.

40
Q

What is toxic megacolon?

A

Look this up