han vu. most of the causes of abdominal pain are not serious and can be readily diagnosed and...
Post on 05-Jan-2016
213 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Han Vu
Most of the causes of abdominal pain are not serious and can be readily diagnosed and treated. However, pain can also be a sign of a serious illness. It is important to be able to recognize symptoms that are severe and know when to call a doctor.
Symptoms of Abdominal Pain Need Concern
Fever
Inability to keep food down for several days
Inability to pass stool, especially if you are also vomiting
Difficulty breathing
Painful or unusually frequent urination
The pain occurs during pregnancy
The abdomen is tender to the touch
Vomiting blood
Bloody stools
The pain is the result of an injury to the abdomen in the previous days
The pain lasts for several days
These symptoms can be an indication of an internal problem that requires treatment as soon as possible.
Constipation
most people experience constipation at some point in their life. Constipation is the inability to have a normal bowel movement. This can be in the form of having to strain to have stools passed or not being able to have a bowel movement at all.
Causes of constipation:
change in diet or routine, or an underlying health problem.
Symptoms: include abdominal pain, abdominal pressure, swollen abdomen, difficult bowel movements, a lack of bowel movements, and vomiting.
Gastroenteritis (Stomach 'flu')
Pain due to due to the irritation and inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines, which can be caused by a virus or bacterial infection.
Symptoms: abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, swollen lymph glands, fatigue, and fever.
Gas
Everyone produces and passes gas
Naturally formed due to food broken down by digestion system
Some food produce gas more than others such as high fiber foods such as beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products
An excess of gas in the system can lead to bloating and abdominal pain.
However, frequent painful gas can be a sign of health problems, such as ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and colon cancer.
Lactose Intolerance
inability to digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy products) due to the body not making enough of the enzyme lactase.
Symptoms: 30 minutes to two hours after consuming dairy products:
abdominal pain, abdominal cramping, nausea, painful gas, bloating and diarrhea.
Indigestion
discomfort felt during or after eating
Range from feeling full to actual pain.
frequently due to simply eating or drinking too much
can be a sign of a health problem, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or cancer
Symptoms:
abdominal pain, bloating,
belching, gas, nausea,
vomiting, acidic taste, and burning in the stomach or upper abdomen
Menstrual Pains
felt during menstruation is commonly due to menstrual cramps,
which are caused by the contraction of the muscles of the uterus brought on by hormone changes.
cramps may range from mild annoyances to strong pains that interfere with daily activities.
some women, the pain is severe or continues after menstruation.
may be other health conditions involved, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis or fibroids.
Ulcer: the causes
Infection by H. pylori
Use of pain killers (NSAID)
Too much acid produced from gastrinoma
Symptoms of ulcer:
burning pain in the middle or upper stomach between meals or at night
Bloating, heartburn
Nausea, vomiting
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
more likely to strike women than men
Symptoms: diarrhea, constipation,
abdominal cramps, pain,
and bloating.
not yet found a specific cause for IBS
All the symptoms tend to be aggravated by stress
Treatment:
Stress reduction is a crucial part of treatment
Medicines to relax intestinal muscles can help relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
Dietary changes can also help:
Eat smaller meals
Avoid caffeine
Food Allergies
immune system response to a certain compound in food, usually a protein
Symptoms: every time the food is consumed
abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, rash, hives, shortness of breath, chest pain, and anaphylaxis.
How Is the Cause of Abdominal Pain Determined?
type of pain: Is it stabbing and severe? Is it a dull ache? Is the pain throughout your abdomen or is it confined to a particular area?
Where in your abdomen does the pain seem to be located?
in the morning or at night? If the pain comes and goes, about how long does it last each time? Does it occur after eating certain types of foods or after drinking alcohol?
Pain during menstruation?
radiate in your lower back, shoulder, groin or buttocks?
taking any medications or herbal supplements?
pregnant?
any activity relieve the pain?
injured recently?
Some tests to help diagnose your pain
Stool or urine tests, barium swallows or enemas, endoscopy, x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan
antibiotics for infections
changes in personal behavior for certain foods or beverages.
In some cases, surgery is necessary (appendicitis, herniation)
Here’s a case study:
A woman in her 80s presented after two weeks of intermittent generalized abdominal pain. worsened over a 48-hour period
Symptoms: no bowel movements, severe pain, and nausea and vomiting. PE showed significant for abdominal distention and tenderness.
CT scan demonstrated a high-grade bowel obstruction secondary to a cecal mass.
Specimen of a 24-cm segment of terminal ileum shows a mass at the ileocecal junction.
mass is present at the ileocecal junction
Diff Dx:
1. Constipation/obstruction by mantle cell lymphoma
(ruled in due to no bowel; a mass found by CT & confirmed by specimen)
2. Lactose intolerance (r/0 due to no bloating, no gas, no diarhea)
3. Food allergies (r/o due to no rash/hive)
4. Gastroenteritis (r/o due to no fever, no swollen lymphatic glands)
5. Gas ( r/o due to no gas ever been complained)
She was diagnosed with abdominal obstruction by mantle cell lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma demonstrates features of both low-grade and high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
The vast majority of patients cannot be cured
median survival : 3-5 years
Treatment Options
depends on the stage of the disease
Monoclonal antibody using drugs Rituximab to destroy cancer cells
Interferon to boost immune to fight dz
New chemotherapy drug Fludarabine used to fight dz
Radiation treatment used in Stage I or II
Radiation coupled w/chemotherapy in later stage
Stem cell, an aggressive therapy, used for late stages of the disease.
REFERENCES:1. Jaffe ES, Harris NL, Stein H, Vardiman JW
(Eds.): World Health Organization Classification of Tumours. Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues. IARC Press: Lyon 2001
2. Romaguera J, Hagemeister B. Lymphoma of the colon. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2005 Jan; 21 (1): 80-4.
3. Bertoni F, Zucca E, Cavalli F. Mantle cell lymphoma. Curr Opin Hematol. 2004 Nov; 11 (6): 411-8.
4. Tamura S, Ohkawauchi K, Yokoyama Y, Higashidani Y, Daibata M, Hiroi M, Yamamori S, Onishi S. Non-multiple lymphomatous polyposis form of mantle cell lymphoma in the gastrointestinal tract. J Gastroenterol. 2004 Oct; 39 (10): 995-1000.
5. Okazaki K. Multiple lymphomatous polyposis form is common but not specific for mantle cell lymphoma in the gastrointestinal tract. J Gastroenterol. 2004 Oct; 39 (10): 1023-4.
6. DiRaimondo F, Albitar M, Huh Y, O'Brien S, Montillo M, Tedeschi A, Kantarjian H, Lerner S, Giustolisi R, Keating M. The clinical and diagnostic relevance of CD23 expression in the chronic lymphoproliferative disease. Cancer. 2002 Mar 15; 94 (6): 1721-30.
7. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/abdominal-pain
8. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2367624/the_most_common_causes_of_abdominal.html?cat=5
9. http://www.lymphomainfo.net/nhl/types/mantle.html
10. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-peptic-ulcer-disease
11. http://women.webmd.com/features/3-common-conditions-women-dont-talk-about?page=2
Thank You
top related