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Symposium articles on gastroenterology

Prompt diagnosis and treatment will improve outcomes in acute pancreatitis

27 Jul 2022Paid-up subscribers

Any patient presenting with acute abdominal pain should be assessed for a possible diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. A thorough history of the presenting illness is needed to determine the onset, duration, progress and nature of the pain. In acute pancreatitis the pain typically presents as severe epigastric pain radiating to the back and is worsened by movement, and classically leaning forwards alleviates the pain. 

Managing cardiovascular risk key in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

27 Jul 2022Paid-up subscribers

Most people living with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are thought to remain undiagnosed and many are asymptomatic. Obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidaemia are risk factors for NAFLD, and NAFLD is considered to be the liver component of metabolic syndrome. Cardiovascular risk should be stratified for all NAFLD patients and any cardiovascular risk factors managed aggressively. Patients should be given lifestyle advice aimed at weight loss and increased physical activity.

Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer

26 Jul 2021Paid-up subscribers

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both women and men and is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. The main symptoms patients with colorectal cancer present with are: persistent blood in faeces; persistent change in bowel habit and persistent lower abdominal pain. Less obvious presentations are unexplained weight loss, tiredness for no reason, general malaise and iron deficiency anaemia found on blood testing.

Multidisciplinary care is key in chronic pancreatitis

26 Jul 2021Paid-up subscribers

In chronic pancreatitis chronic inflammation of the pancreas results in irreversible injury and fibrosis. The most common causal factor is excess alcohol consumption. Smoking is an independent risk factor. Gene mutations can lead to hereditary chronic pancreatitis and idiopathic disease, where no clear cause can be identified, accounts for 20-30% of cases. The typical presenting symptom is intermittent or continuous upper abdominal pain which may radiate to the back. The pain is commonly triggered or exacerbated by eating or alcohol consumption.

Early treatment can arrest or reverse cirrhosis

24 Jul 2020Paid-up subscribers

Around 60,000 people in the UK are estimated to have cirrhosis. It is now the third most common cause of premature death. Decompensation represents a watershed moment for patients with cirrhosis, with the median survival falling from > 12 years for compensated cirrhosis to approximately two years. Patients with cirrhosis should undergo six-monthly ultrasound to screen for the early development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. They should also undergo an initial upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to screen for varices.

Tailor treatment to the patient with gallstone disease

24 Jul 2020Paid-up subscribers

Gallstones affect around 15% of adults in the UK. Between 50 and 70% of patients with gallstones are asymptomatic at diagnosis and only 10-25% of these individuals will go on to develop symptomatic gallstone disease. The vast majority (90-95%) of gallstones are cholesterol stones. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of symptomatic gallstones. Patients with symptoms suggestive of gallstones should be offered liver function tests and an abdominal ultrasound.

Early detection of liver cancer key to improving outcomes

07 Aug 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for around 90% of liver cancer cases and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CC) for 9-10%. Most cases of HCC occur in the context of chronic liver disease with cirrhosis, particularly in those with chronic hepatitis B or C. Other major risk factors include excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and aflatoxins. Overall, 10-15% of cirrhotic patients will develop HCC within 20 years. Patients presenting with an upper abdominal mass consistent with an enlarged liver should be referred for an urgent direct access ultrasound scan within two weeks. 

Optimising the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

07 Aug 2019Paid-up subscribers

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition which runs a relapsing and remitting course. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is more common than Crohn’s disease (CD). UC almost always affects the rectum and extends proximally and continuously to the colon to a variable extent. CD most commonly affects the terminal ileum or colon but can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. The vast majority (90%) of people with UC report bloody stools compared with less than 50% of those with CD. CD is characterised by a triad of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss.

Improving outcomes in pancreatic cancer

25 Jul 2018

The combination of an aggressive disease, vague presenting symptoms and insensitive standard diagnostic tests is a key factor contributing to poor outcomes with only 15% of patients with pancreatic cancer having operable disease at diagnosis. The NICE guideline on referral for suspected cancer recommends urgent referral via a suspected cancer pathway referral if the patient is aged 40 and over with jaundice. It also recommends that an urgent direct access computerised tomography (CT) scan referral should be considered in patients aged 60 and over with weight loss and any of the following: diarrhoea; back pain; abdominal pain; nausea; vomiting; constipation; new onset diabetes. Pancreatic cancer requires a CT scan for diagnosis.

Diagnosing and managing colorectal cancer

25 Jul 2018

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths. Most cancers are thought to develop from colonic adenomas and incidence is strongly related to age. The majority of cancers are left sided and typically present with a change in bowel habit, blood in the stool or colicky abdominal pain. Rectal cancers can present with fresh red bleeding and large tumours can cause tenesmus (the intense and frequent desire to defecate, with little or no stool passed). Right-sided cancers most often present with anaemia. In both right- and left-sided cancers occasionally the patient may notice an abdominal mass or inexplicable weight loss.

 

Special reports

Optimising the management of diverticular disease

24 Sep 2020Registered users

Diverticular disease is characterised by intermittent abdominal pain in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen associated with constipation or diarrhoea. It can be difficult to differentiate from other conditions such as colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and colorectal cancer. Acute diverticulitis typically presents with severe constant left lower quadrant pain associated with signs of systemic upset such as fever. The patient may also have a change in bowel habit or rectal bleeding. On examination there is tenderness in the left lower quadrant. Acute diverticulitis may be complicated by perforation, abscess, fistula formation, bleeding or a stricture.