Review of Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Conditions

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to gastrointestinal and endocrine conditions as outlined in the lecture notes.

Crohn’s Disease

A chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly affecting the small intestine and ascending colon, characterized by 'skip lesions' and transmural inflammation.

Ulcerative Colitis

A chronic inflammatory bowel disease that exclusively affects the large intestine, starting in the rectum and extending continuously, with inflammation primarily affecting the mucosal layer.

Skip Lesions

Segments of normal bowel tissue between areas of inflammation characteristic of Crohn's disease.

Granuloma

A structure formed by a collection of macrophages that can develop in Crohn’s disease, indicative of the body's inflammatory response.

Mucosal Friability

A feature of ulcerative colitis where the mucus layer of the bowel is fragile and bleeds easily.

Bowel Obstruction

A complication of Crohn's disease that occurs when thickening of the bowel wall leads to blockage.

Fistula

An abnormal connection that can form between bowel segments in Crohn’s disease due to inflammation.

Metaplasia

The process by which one type of tissue changes into another, often seen in ulcerative colitis.

Pyelonephritis

An infection of the renal parenchyma, commonly caused by bacteria ascending from the urinary tract.

Immunosuppressive Drugs

Medications used in the treatment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis to reduce the immune response and inflammation.

Polydipsia

Excessive thirst, commonly seen in diabetes mellitus.

Hyperkalemia

An abnormally high level of potassium in the blood, often a concern in Cushing's syndrome.

Thyrotoxicosis

A condition resulting from excessive thyroid hormone secretion, commonly caused by Graves' disease.

Urge Incontinence

A type of incontinence caused by an overactive bladder, resulting in a strong desire to urinate that cannot be controlled.

Anorexia

Loss of appetite, which can be a clinical manifestation of metabolic acidosis.

Cushing’s Syndrome

A condition caused by the overproduction of cortisol, leading to symptoms such as moon face and buffalo hump.

Negative Feedback Loop

A regulatory mechanism whereby an increase in hormone levels results in decreased production of that hormone to maintain homeostasis.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

A serious complication of diabetes characterized by high blood sugar, ketone build-up, and metabolic acidosis.

Hematuria

The presence of blood in urine, often indicative of infection or a urinary tract issue.