Health

What GI disease is most commonly associated with dermatitis herpetiformis?  Celiac disease (gluten-sensitive enteropathy). Although almost all patients demonstrate histologic findings of celiac disease in the gastrointestinal tract, only one-third demonstrate clinical symptoms of celiac disease. Both celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis respond to a gluten-free diet. Oral dapsone results in rapid improvement of the …

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What are the cutaneous manifestations of pancreatitis?  Cutaneous manifestations of pancreatitis include Cullen sign, Grey Turner sign, and pancreatic fat necrosis. Cullen sign is a hemorrhagic discoloration of the umbilical area caused by intraperitoneal hemorrhage from any cause; one of the more frequent causes is acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. Grey Turner sign is a discoloration of …

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GI diseases most commonly associated with pyoderma gangrenosum Like erythema nodosum, PG is associated with ulcerative colitis (most common), Crohn’s disease, and chronic infectious hepatitis. One study reported that 50% all cases of PG are associated with ulcerative colitis but less than 10% of all patients with ulcerative colitis will develop PG. A separate study …

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Why do many patients with hepatobiliary disease itch?  Approximately 40% of patients with hepatic cirrhosis demonstrate moderate to severe pruritus. The mechanism of pruritus associated with hepatobiliary disease has not been firmly established, but is likely caused by elevated levels of bile acids secondary to cholestasis. Serum bile acids are frequently elevated in patients with …

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Do the number of spider angiomas correlate with the severity of alcohol induced liver disease?  Yes, although there is some degree of individual susceptibility to spider angiomas. However, the correlation is high enough that one report suggests that barmaids in New York used to guess the degree of severity of liver cirrhosis of their customers …

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What are spider angiomas? Why are they associated with liver disease?  Spider angiomas (nevus araneus) are vascular lesions characterized by a central arteriole and horizontal radiating thin-walled vessels that produce the legs of the vascular spider. The pulsation of the central, vertically oriented arteriole in larger lesions can be visualized with diascopy (observing the lesion through a …

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What gastrointestinal (GI) disease is associated with blue lunulae?  The lunula is the moon-shaped white area present at the proximal nail plate. Blue lunulae are seen in Wilson disease (hepatolenticular degeneration), which is caused by an autosomal recessive defect in ATP7B and copper transport. Copper accumulates in the liver, brain, cornea, skin, nails, and other …

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