Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

See also ABDOMINAL PAIN; BODY SHAPE AND CARDIO- VASCULAR DISEASE; DYSPEPSIA; ENDOSCOPY; FALLOPIAN TUBES; FECAL IMPACTION; FLATUL ...

aging, gastrointestinal changes that occur with The organs and structures of the gastrointestinal system undergo numerous change ...

The most common cause of anal fissure is CONSTIPA- TION, in which the bowel movement is hard and often forced. PAINcan be intens ...

“rebound” dyspepsia or gastric reflux (most com- mon with calcium carbonate products) to OSTEO- POROSIS(with magnesium products, ...

CAFFEINE consumption, FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES, or viral INFECTION(GASTROENTERITISor ENTERITIS). These circumstances tend to resolve ...

anus The opening through which the body passes solid waste (feces), below the final segment of the COLONand the terminus of the ...

surgeon inserts special instruments. LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERYoften requires only an overnight stay in the hospital, with return to n ...

ship between the appendix and INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE(IBD) as well as the role of GALT HYPERPLASIA(enlargement of the lymphoi ...

B barium enema A diagnostic imaging procedure to examine the structures of the lower gastroin- testinal tract including the RECT ...

esophageal adenocarcinoma also has Barrett’s esophagus. Diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus requires endo- scopic biopsy of the eso ...

sis, in which gallstones escape from the gallbladder and lodge in a bile duct, blocking the flow of bile and causing PAIN. CANCE ...

reaction that converts the unconjugated bilirubin to conjugated bilirubin, which then becomes an ingredient of BILE. Bilirubin i ...

C cecum The first segment of the COLON (large intestine) into which the ILEUM, the final segment of the SMALL INTESTINE, empties ...

tests to measure ANTIBODYlevels and biopsy of the intestinal mucosa provide strong, though not con- clusive, evidence of celiac ...

erative infection. The surgeon often administers preoperative and postoperative doses of ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATIONSas a prophylactic ...

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY(CT) SCAN, and PERCUTANEOUS LIVER BIOPSY. Treatment targets the underlying cause or condition. Longstanding c ...

GYNECOMASTIA (enlarged breasts) in men and AMENORRHEA(absence of menstrual periods) in women due to the diminished ability of t ...

(pelvic area) can damage the colon, causing symp- toms such as diarrhea and cramping. Symptoms typically resolve as the damaged ...

mize discomfort and anxiety. The procedure takes 30 to 45 minutes, with another one to two hours to recover from the sedation. P ...

requires the same bowel cleansing procedure as does conventional colonoscopy. Virtual colonoscopy does not require sedation. For ...