CH 13 Key Terms

appendicitis

Inflammation of the appendix

ascites

Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity; a form of edema; may be caused by heart disease, lymphatic or venous obstruction, cirrhosis, or changes in blood plasma composition

Barrett syndrome

Condition resulting from chronic esophagitis, as caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease; inflammatory injury can lead to esophageal spasms, scarring, strictures, and increased risk of cancer; also called Barrett esophagus

biliary colic

Acute abdominal pain caused by gallstones in the bile ducts

bilirubin

A pigment released in the breakdown of hemoglobin from red blood cells; mainly excreted by the liver in bile

caries

Tooth decay

celiac disease

Inability to absorb foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat and some other grains; caused by an excess immune response to gluten

cholecystitis

Inflammation of the gallbladder

cholelithiasis

The condition of having stones in the gallbladder; also used to refer to stones in the common bile duct

cirrhosis

Chronic liver disease with degeneration of liver tissue

Crohn disease

A chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract usually involving the ileum and colon

diarrhea

The frequent passage of watery bowel movements

diverticulitis

Inflammation of diverticula (small pouches) in the wall of the digestive tract, especially in the colon

diverticulosis

The presence of diverticula, especially in the colon

dysphagia

Difficulty in swallowing

emesis

Vomiting

fistula

An abnormal passageway between two organs such as between the rectum and anus (anorectal fistula), or from an organ to the body surface

gastroenteritis

Inflammation of the stomach and intestine

gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Condition caused by reflux of gastric juices into the esophagus resulting in heartburn, regurgitation, inflammation, and possible damage to the esophagus; caused by weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES)

heartburn

A warm or burning sensation felt behind the sternum and radiating upward; commonly associated with gastroesophageal reflux; medical name is pyrosis (pyr/o means "heat")

hemorrhoids

Varicose veins in the rectum associated with pain, bleeding, and sometimes rectal prolapse; piles

hepatitis

Inflammation of the liver; commonly caused by a viral infection

hepatomegaly

Enlargement of the liver

hiatal hernia

A protrusion of the stomach through the opening (hiatus) in the diaphragm through which the esophagus passes

icterus

Jaundice

ileus

Intestinal obstruction; may be caused by lack of peristalsis (adynamic, paralytic ileus) or by contraction (dynamic ileus); intestinal matter and gas may be relieved by insertion of a drainage tube

intussusception

Slipping of one intestinal segment into another part below it; occurs mainly in male infants in the ileocecal region; may be fatal if untreated for more than 1 day

jaundice

A yellowish color of the skin, mucous membranes, and whites of the eye caused by bile pigments in the blood (from French jaune meaning "yellow"); the main pigment is bilirubin, a byproduct of erythrocyte destruction

leukoplakia

White patches on mucous membranes, as on the tongue or cheeks, often resulting from smoking or other irritants; may be precancerous

nausea

An unpleasant sensation in the upper abdomen that often precedes vomiting; typically occurs in digestive upset, motion sickness, and sometimes early pregnancy

occult blood

Blood present in such small amounts that it can be detected only microscopically or chemically; in the feces, a sign of intestinal bleeding (occult means "hidden")

pancreatitis

Inflammation of the pancreas

peptic ulcer

A lesion in the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum caused by the action of gastric juice

peritonitis

Inflammation of the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers the abdominal organs; may result from perforation of an ulcer, ruptured appendix, or reproductive tract infection, among other causes

polyp

A tumor that grows on a stalk and bleeds easily

portal hypertension

An abnormal pressure increase in the hepatic portal system; may be caused by cirrhosis, infection, thrombosis, or a tumor

pyloric stenosis

Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and the duodenum; pylorostenosis

regurgitation

A backward flowing, such as the backflow of undigested food

splenomegaly

Enlargement of the spleen

ulcerative colitis

Chronic ulceration of the rectum and colon; the cause is unknown, but may involve autoimmunity

volvulus

Twisting of the intestine resulting in obstruction; usually involves the sigmoid colon and occurs most often in children and in the elderly; may be caused by congenital malformation, a foreign body, or adhesion; failure to treat immediately may result in death

anastomosis

A passage or communication between two vessels or organs; may be normal or pathologic or may be created surgically

barium study

Use of barium sulfate as a liquid contrast medium for fluoroscopic or radiographic study of the digestive tract; can show obstruction, tumors, ulcers, hiatal hernia, and motility disorders, among other conditions

cholecystectomy

Surgical removal of the gallbladder

Dukes classification

A system for staging colorectal cancer based on degree of bowel wall penetration and lymph node involvement; severity is graded from A to C

endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

A technique for viewing the pancreatic and bile ducts and for performing certain techniques to relieve obstructions; contrast medium is injected into the biliary system from the duodenum before radiographs are taken

endoscopy

Use of a fiberoptic endoscope for direct visual examination; GI studies include esophagogastroduodenoscopy, proctosigmoidoscopy (rectum and distal colon), and colonoscopy (all regions of the colon)

ostomy

An opening into the body; generally refers to an opening created for elimination of body waste; also refers to the operation done to create such an opening

stoma

A surgically created opening to the body surface or between two organs (literally "mouth")

anus

The distal opening of the digestive tract (root: an/o)

appendix

An appendage; usually means the narrow tube of lymphatic tissue attached to the cecum, the vermiform (worm-like) appendix

bile

The fluid secreted by the liver that emulsifies fats and aids in their absorption (roots: chol/e, bili)

cecum

A blind pouch at the beginning of the large intestine (root: cec/o)

colon

The major portion of the large intestine; extends from the cecum to the rectum and is formed by ascending, transverse, and descending portions (roots: col/o, colon/o)

common bile duct

The duct that carries bile into the duodenum; formed by the union of the cystic duct and the common hepatic duct (root: choledoch/o)

duodenum

The first portion of the small intestine (root: duoden/o); also pronounced du-OD-eh-num

enzyme

An organic catalyst; speeds the rate of chemical reactions

esophagus

The muscular tube that carries food from the pharynx to the stomach

feces

The waste material eliminated from the intestine (adjective: fecal); stool

gallbladder

A sac on the undersurface of the liver that stores bile (root: cholecyst/o)

hepatic portal system

A special circulatory pathway that brings blood directly from the abdominal organs to the liver for processing (also called simply the portal system); the vessel that enters the liver is the hepatic portal vein (portal vein)

ileum

The terminal portion of the small intestine (root: ile/o)

intestine

The portion of the digestive tract between the stomach and the anus; it consists of the small and large intestines; it functions in digestion, absorption, and elimination of waste (root: enter/o); the bowel (BOW-el)

jejunum

The middle portion of the small intestine (root: jejun/o)

lacteal

A lymphatic capillary in a villus of the small intestine; lacteals absorb digested fats into the lymph

large intestine

The terminal portion of the digestive tract, consisting of the cecum, colon, rectum, and anus; it stores and eliminates undigested waste material (feces)

liver

The large gland in the upper right abdomen; in addition to many other functions, it secretes bile needed for digestion and absorption of fats (root: hepat/o)

lower esophageal sphincter (LES)

Muscle tissue at the distal end of the esophagus (gastroesophageal junction) that prevents stomach contents from refluxing into the esophagus; also called the cardiac sphincter

mastication

Chewing

mouth

The oral cavity; contains the tongue and teeth; used to take in and chew food, mix it with saliva, and move it toward the throat to be swallowed

palate

The roof of the mouth; the partition between the mouth and nasal cavity; consists of an anterior portion formed by bone, the hard palate, and a posterior portion formed of tissue, the soft palate (root: palat/o)

pancreas

A large, elongated gland posterior to the stomach; it produces hormones that regulate sugar metabolism and also produces digestive enzymes (root: pancreat/o)

peristalsis

Wave-like contractions of an organ's walls; moves material through an organ or duct

peritoneum

The large serous membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and supports the abdominal organs

pharynx

The throat; a common passageway for food entering the esophagus and air entering the larynx (root: pharyng/o)

pylorus

The stomach's distal opening into the duodenum (root: pylor/o); the opening is controlled by a ring of muscle, the pyloric sphincter

rectum

The distal portion of the large intestine; it stores and eliminates undigested waste (roots: rect/o, proct/o)

saliva

The clear secretion released into the mouth that moistens food and contains a starch-digesting enzyme (root: sial/o); saliva is produced by three pairs of glands: the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands (see FIG. 13-1)

sigmoid colon

Distal S-shaped portion of the large intestine located between the descending colon and the rectum

small intestine

The portion of the intestine between the stomach and the large intestine; comprised of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum; accessory organs secrete into the small intestine, and almost all digestion and absorption occur there

stomach

A muscular sac-like organ below the diaphragm that stores food and secretes juices that digest proteins (root: gastr/o)

uvula

The fleshy mass that hangs from the soft palate; aids in speech production (literally “little grape”) (root: uvul/o)

villi

Tiny projections in the lining of the small intestine that absorb digested foods into the circulation (singular: villus)