Whipple's disease ( intestinal lipodystrophy )

 



* It's form of malabsorption disease, caused by tropheryma whipplei organism. 

* Typically in white men of middle age 

* It's rare disease with unknown risk factors 


Symptoms 

 * The symptoms start slowly 
 
 * Joint pain is the most common early symptoms

 * GIT symptoms occure several years later 

 * Other symptoms like  
      
                " Abdominal pain    " Diarrhea   " Fever   " Darkening of skin in light exposed area of the skin

                " Joint pain [ ankle - knee - elbow - fingers - others ] 
  
                " Memory loss       " Weight loss     " mental changes 

Physical Exam 

 * Enlarged lymph nodes

 * Heart murmurs 

 * Oedema

Complications 

 * Brain damage 
 
 * Heart valve damage 

 * Weight loss

 * Symptoms return

Investigations

 * CBC      * PCR    * Fecal fat     * Albumin level       * D-xylose absorption 

*  Biopsy of small Bowel on periodic acid-schiff stain ( PAS ) positive macrophages  in lamina 

     properia contain Non-acid fast gram +ve bacilli

 * Upper GIT  endoscopy

Treatment

* Long term antibiotics to cure against CNS infection 👇
   
             " Ceftraixone IV then TM-SM up to 1 year

             " If symptoms back during antibiotics use → may change antibiotics

* Dietary supplements for malnutrition

   

          

Coeliac disease ( Gluten Enteropathy )

 



* Inheritance patterin is unknown

* Autoimmune disease abnormall sensitive to gluten protein found in wheat, rye, barley and others 

* the risk of developing disease increased by variant HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 genes

* these genes binds to each other to form functional protein complex called antigene-binding DQαβ 

   heterodimer

* the only treatment is strict  gluten-free diet 



patterns of coeliac disease:-


( 1 ) Latent coeliac disease 

   
          * No symptoms 

          * Normal intestinal villi 

          * No Antibodies in bloodstream

( 2 ) Silent coeliac disease 


           * No symptoms  
 
           * Damaged intestinal villi

           * There are Antibodies in bloodstream

( 3 ) Refractory Sprue 

     
           * Not improve with gluten-free diet 

           * Chronic inflammation of GIT 

( 4 ) Non-classic coeliac disease 


           * No GIT symptoms 

           * Now it's more common than the classic form 

( 5 ) Symptomatic coeliac disease ( classic form )


            * Can develop at any age after start eating gluten-containing diet 

            * Result from inflammation of GIT which damages intestinal villi so it become shortened and      
              flatten out and so malabsorption occure


Symptoms:- 

    GIT  

          * Diarrhea  *malabsorption   * Weight loss   * Abdominal pain     * Abdominal distention 
   
          * Food intolerance   * Increased risk of intestinal and esophageal cancers

  Skin & General 

          * Iron deficiency anemia   * Vitamins deficiency    * Osteoprosis     * Dermatitis herpatiforms

          * Teath enemal defects      * Chronic fatigue   * Joint pain    * Poor frowth     
  
          * Delayed puberty   * Infertility   * Repeats miscariages 


  Neurological 

          * Migraine    * ADHD    * Recurrent seziures 



How to manage refractory celiac disease

1-  In patients believed to have celiac disease who have persistent or recurrent symptoms or signs, the 
initial diagnosis of celiac disease should be confirmed by review of prior diagnostic testing, including 
serologies, endoscopies and histologic findings.

2-  In patients with confirmed celiac disease with persistent or recurrent symptoms or signs (nonresponsive celiac disease), ongoing gluten ingestion should be excluded as a cause of these symptoms with serologic testing, dietitian review, and detection of immunogenic peptides in stool or urine. EGD with small bowel biopsies should be performed to look for villous atrophy. If villous atrophy persists or the initial diagnosis of celiac disease was not confirmed, consider other causes of villous atrophy, including common variable immunodeficiency, autoimmune enteropathy, tropical sprue and medication-induced enteropathy.

3-  For patients with nonresponsive celiac disease, after exclusion of gluten ingestion, perform a systematic evaluation for other potential causes of symptoms, including functional bowel disorders, microscopic colitis, pancreatic insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, lactose or fructose intolerance and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

4-  Use flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and T-cell receptor rearrangement studies to distinguish between subtypes of refractory celiac disease and to exclude enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma. Type 1 refractory celiac disease is characterized by a normal intraepithelial lymphocyte population and type 2 is defined by the presence of an aberrant, clonal intraepithelial lymphocyte population. Consultation with an expert hematopathologist is necessary to interpret these studies.

5-  Perform small bowel imaging with capsule endoscopy and computed tomography or magnetic resonance enterography to exclude enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma and ulcerative jejunoileitis at initial diagnosis of type 2 refractory celiac disease.

6-  Complete a detailed nutritional assessment with investigation of micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies in patients diagnosed with refractory celiac disease. Check albumin as an independent prognostic factor.

7-  Correct deficiencies in macro- and micronutrients using oral supplements and/or enteral support. Consider parenteral nutrition for patients with severe malnutrition due to malabsorption.

8-  Corticosteroids, most commonly open-capsule budesonide or, if unavailable, prednisone, are the medication of choice and should be used as first-line therapy in either type 1 or type 2 refractory celiac disease.

9-  Patients with refractory celiac disease require regular follow-up by a multidisciplinary team, including gastroenterologists and dietitians, to assess clinical and histologic response to therapy. Identify local experts with expertise in celiac disease to assist with management.

10-  Patients with refractory celiac disease without response to steroids may benefit from referral to a center with expertise for management or evaluation for inclusion in clinical trials.


 
           

Liddle's Syndrome

 






  • it's inherited form of hypertension

  • it's inherited in the form of Autosomal dominant pattern
  • it's caused by mutation in the  SCNN1A, SCNN1B, SCNN1G genes
  • these genes provide instruction for making subunit of protein complex called epithelial sodium channel ( ENaC ) may found on surface of kidney cells

  • Normally ENaC open in response to signals that Na level in the blood is too low, which allow reabsorption of Na back to the bloodstream

  • if mutations occure, the ENaC will increase on cell surface leading to increase Na reabsorption and K exceartion



Features :- 
  • Begins usually early in life often in the childhood, some people aren't diagnosed until adulthood
  • may be no additional signs or symptoms, but overtime if untreated, may develop heart disease or cerebrovascular accidents
  • may suffer from signs and symptoms of hypokalemia as
                                      * muscle weakness

                                      * fatigue

                                      * constipation

                                      * heart palpitations

                                     * metabolic alkalosis
                           

Differential diagnosis of Hematuria

 







Scheme of Thyroid Activities


 

Brugada Syndrome

 



  • it's channelopathy disorder in the form of reduce sodium current
  • inherited in the form of Autosomal dominant, typically in young, male, and othewise healthy normal
  • it's a cause of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia which can develop to ventricular fibrillation leading to sudden death
  • syncope and cardiac arrest are the most common clinical presentations
  • nightmares may be found
  • may subtle abnormality in right ventricle reported
  • if you suspect Brugada syndrome do :- 
             * 12-lead ECG in all patient 
             * Drug challengewith sodium channel blocker if syncope with                          obvious cause
             * Electrophysiologic study
             * Serum K, Ca, CK-MB
             * Genetic test for mutation in SCN5A



Feature on ECG :- 
  • incomplete RBBB
  • ST elevation in anterior leads

three types of Brugada
  • Type 1 .... pronounced elevation of j point ( coved st ) and inverted t wave 
  • Type 2 .... saddleback st elevated by more than 1mm
  • Type 3 .... st elevated less than 1mm


Treatment :- 

the only treatment is implantable cardioversion defibrillator  ICD.    

                

Endothelin ... ET

 



  • Family of 21 amino acids vasoconstrictors peptides

  • three isoforms  ET-1   ET-2    ET-3
  • mediate their actions via two receptors  ET-A  ET-B
  • ET-1 id the most potent 
  • ET-1 .....the major source is enfothelial cells then macrophages, fibroblast, cardiac myocyte, and neurons
  • ET-2 ......Expressed in intestinal cells and at lower level in the heart
  • ET-3 .....Expressed in brain neurons, kidney, and intestinal epithelial cells
  • ET-2 & ET-3 differ from ET-1 in two and six amino acid repectively
  • endothelin show very close structral and functional relationship to the snake venom peptide
  • endothelins are released in the form of preproendothelin then undergone sequential prolytic processing by endothelin converting enzyme ECE
  • ET-1 & ET-2 have the same affinity to ET-A but duffer to ET-B
  • ET-3 binds to ET-B receptor so hence can be considered selective ET-B


Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia ( CPVT )





 It abnormal heart rythm in response to physical activity or emotional stress

  • episodes of VT can cause light headedness, dizzeness, and syncope
  • episodes begin in childhood
  • if not recognized and treated, it may cause cardiac arrest leading to sudden death


Etiology

inherited disease

  • If mutation in RYR2 gene, will inherited in the form of Autosomal dominant and it occure in 50% of cases
  • If mutation in CASQ2 gene, will inherited in the form of Autosomal ressissive and occure in 5% of cases
  • the both genes provide instructions for making protein that help in maintain normal heart beat by controlling calcium movement within myocytes

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy ( ARVC )






 primay disease of heart muscles 

  • occure in the form of fibrofatty changes in right ventricule and subepicardial space in left ventricle 
  • However its name, it's biventricular involvment and more common in left ventricle 
  • in left ventricle  changes are related more to fibrosis than to fat or fibrofatty infiltration
  • This condition causes part of the myocardium to break down over time, increasing the risk of an abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia) and sudden death.


Etiology 

unknown but ....

  • prescence of inflammatory infiltartion suggest resolving myocarditis
  • families has phenotyping alteration 
  • Gene mutations have been found in about 60 percent of people with ARVC. Mutations in a desmosomal gene called PKP2 appear to be most common.
  • Mutations in desmosomal genes impair the function of desmosomes. Without normal desmosomes, cells of the myocardium detach from one another and die, particularly when the heart muscle is placed under stress (such as during vigorous exercise). These changes primarily affect the myocardium surrounding the right ventricle, one of the two lower chambers of the heart. The damaged myocardium is gradually replaced by fat and scar tissue. As this abnormal tissue builds up, the walls of the right ventricle become stretched out, preventing the heart from pumping blood effectively. These changes also disrupt the electrical signals that control the heartbeat, which can lead to arrhythmia.

findings 

  • symtoms and signs related to arrhythmia and conduction disturbance
  • Arrhythmia and cardiac arrest are common presentation then cardiac arrest
  • Autopasy is the only diagnostic test 

under microscope

  • moth eaten appearance
  • destruction of normal myocytes via inflammatory scaring and fat replacement



Drug-induced liver injury...... ( DILI )




Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an injury of the liver that may occur when you take certain medicines.

Examples :- 
    • Amiodarone
    • Anabolic steroids
    • Birth control pills
    • Chlorpromazine
    • Erythromycin
    • Halothane (a type of anesthesia)
    • Methyldopa
    • Isoniazid
    • Methotrexate
    • Statins
    • Sulfa drugs
    • Tetracyclines
    • Amoxicillin-clavulanate
  • Some anti-seizure medicines
findings :-
  • Abdominal pain
  • Dark urine
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Jaundice
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Rash
  • White or clay-colored stools
  • elevated liver enzymes 
  • enlaged liver and right hypochonderial tenderness
Treatment :-
  • The only specific treatment for most cases of liver damage caused by taking a drug is to stop taking the drug that caused the problem.

  • However, if you took high doses of acetaminophen, you should get treated for liver injury in the emergency department or other acute treatment setting as soon as possible.

  • If symptoms are severe, you should rest and avoid heavy exercise, alcohol, acetaminophen, and any other substances that might harm the liver. You may need to get fluids through a vein if nausea and vomiting are severe.

N.B:-  rarely complicated by liver failure