Product information "Cholelithiasis (Gallstones)"
Clinical History
A middle-aged woman experienced recurrent epigastric pain. Endoscopy revealed no ulcers, but a cholangiogram showed a non-functioning gallbladder. She later died from a myocardial infarction.
Pathology
The specimen shows a liver section with an opened gallbladder containing six large faceted mixed gallstones – a classic case of cholelithiasis.
Further Information
Gallstones consist of cholesterol, calcium salts, bilirubin and mucin. Risk factors include age over 50, female sex, pregnancy, diabetes, rapid weight loss, and certain medications. Symptoms range from no complaints to biliary colic, cholecystitis, or pancreatitis. Typical signs are upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Diagnosis is mainly done with ultrasound, and in some cases HIDA scan. Treatment begins with analgesia; often followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Though rare, severe complications can be fatal. Importantly, epigastric pain can mimic heart attack symptoms, particularly in women, so cardiac causes must be ruled out with an ECG.
A middle-aged woman experienced recurrent epigastric pain. Endoscopy revealed no ulcers, but a cholangiogram showed a non-functioning gallbladder. She later died from a myocardial infarction.
Pathology
The specimen shows a liver section with an opened gallbladder containing six large faceted mixed gallstones – a classic case of cholelithiasis.
Further Information
Gallstones consist of cholesterol, calcium salts, bilirubin and mucin. Risk factors include age over 50, female sex, pregnancy, diabetes, rapid weight loss, and certain medications. Symptoms range from no complaints to biliary colic, cholecystitis, or pancreatitis. Typical signs are upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Diagnosis is mainly done with ultrasound, and in some cases HIDA scan. Treatment begins with analgesia; often followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Though rare, severe complications can be fatal. Importantly, epigastric pain can mimic heart attack symptoms, particularly in women, so cardiac causes must be ruled out with an ECG.
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Erler-Zimmer
Erler-Zimmer GmbH & Co.KG
Hauptstrasse 27
77886 Lauf
Germany
info@erler-zimmer.de
Achtung! Medizinisches Ausbildungsmaterial, kein Spielzeug. Nicht geeignet für Personen unter 14 Jahren.
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Ulcerative Colitis
Clinical HistoryA 36-year-old woman was admitted with a 3-week history of bloody diarrhoea and lower abdominal pain. She reported four similar episodes over seven years. Sigmoidoscopy revealed erythematous, ulcerated, and oedematous rectal mucosa. Steroid treatment was started but symptoms persisted, leading to a total colectomy.PathologyThe resected colon showed extensive confluent ulceration with oedematous mucosal islands. Ulcers had necrotic bases and overhanging edges forming pseudo-polyps. Histology revealed acute inflammation, crypt abscesses, necrosis, and ulceration, confirming acute ulcerative colitis (UC).Further InformationUlcerative colitis is a chronic ulcerative inflammatory disease mainly affecting the rectum and extending proximally in a continuous manner. Inflammation is usually limited to the mucosa and superficial submucosa. The cause is unknown. It commonly starts between ages 15–25 and is slightly more common in females. Symptoms include bloody or mucous diarrhoea, urgency, abdominal pain, weight loss, anemia, and fatigue. Complications include toxic megacolon, perforation, and colon cancer. Extraintestinal symptoms may affect eyes, joints, skin, and liver. Treatment includes steroids, disease-modifying drugs, and TNF inhibitors. Colectomy cures intestinal symptoms, but extraintestinal manifestations may continue.
Multiple Polyposis Coli
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Liver cirrhosis
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Fatty Liver
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Hirschsprung's Disease
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Chronic Gastric Ulcer
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Villous adenoma of colon
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Gall Stone Ileus
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