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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Constipation

Constipation

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Constipation
Constipation.JPG

Constipation in a young child as seen by X-ray. Circles represent areas of fecal matter (stool is opaque white surrounded by black bowel gas).
ICD-10K59.0
ICD-9564.0
DiseasesDB3080
MedlinePlus003125
eMedicinemed/2833
MeSHD003248
Constipation (also known as costiveness,[1] dyschezia,[2] and dyssynergic defaecation[2]) refers to bowel movements that are infrequent and/or hard to pass.[2] Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation. Severe constipation includes obstipation (failure to pass stools or gas) and fecal impaction (see also Bowel obstruction).
Constipation is common; in the general population incidence of constipation varies from 2 to 30%.[3]
Constipation is a symptom with many causes. These causes are of two types: obstructed defecation and colonic slow transit (or hypomobility). About 50% of patients evaluated for constipation at tertiary referral hospitals have obstructed defecation.[3] This type of constipation has mechanical and functional causes. Causes of colonic slow transit constipation include diet, hormones, side effects of medications, and heavy metal toxicity.
Treatments include changes in dietary habits, laxatives, enemas, biofeedback, and surgery. Because constipation is a symptom, not a disease, effective treatment of constipation may require first determining the cause.

Contents

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Definition

Types 1 and 2 on the Bristol Stool Chart indicate constipation
The definition of constipation includes the following:[4][5][6][7]
  • infrequent bowel movements (typically three times or fewer per week)
  • difficulty during defecation (straining during more than 25% of bowel movements or a subjective sensation of hard stools), or
  • the sensation of incomplete bowel evacuation.
The Rome III criteria are widely used to diagnose chronic constipation, and are helpful in separating cases of chronic functional constipation from less-serious instances.[8]

Children

Constipation in children usually occurs at three distinct points in time: after starting formula or processed foods (while an infant), during toilet training in toddlerhood, and soon after starting school (as in a kindergarten) [9]
After birth, most infants pass 4-5 soft liquid bowel movements (BM) a day. Breast-fed infants usually tend to have more BM compared to formula-fed infants. Some breast-fed infants have a BM after each feed, whereas others have only one BM every 2–3 days. Infants who are breast-fed rarely develop constipation.[10] By the age of 2 years, a child will usually have 1-2 bowel movements per day and by 4 years of age, a child will have one BM per day.[11]

Causes

The causes of constipation can be divided into congenital, primary, and secondary.[2] The most common cause is primary and not life threatening.[12] In the elderly, causes include: insufficient dietary fiber intake, inadequate fluid intake, decreased physical activity, side effects of medications, hypothyroidism, and obstruction by colorectal cancer.[13]

Primary

Primary or functional constipation is ongoing symptoms for greater than 6 months not due to any underlying cause such as medication side effects or an underlying medical condition.[2][14] It is not associated with abdominal pain thus distinguishing it from irritable bowel syndrome.[2] It is the most common cause of constipation.[2]

Diet

Constipation can be caused or exacerbated by a low fiber diet, low liquid intake, or dieting.[5][6]

Medication

Many medications have constipation as a side effect. Some include: opioids (e.g. common codeine pain killers), diuretics, antidepressants, antihistamines, antispasmodics, anticonvulsants, and aluminum antacids [5][8]

Metabolic & muscular

Metabolic and endocrine problems which may lead to constipation include: hypercalcemia, hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease.[5][12] Constipation is also common in individuals with muscular and myotonic dystrophy.[5]

Structural and functional abnormalities

Constipation has a number of structural (mechanical, morphological, anatomical) causes, including: spinal cord lesions, Parkinsons, colon cancer, anal fissures, proctitis, and pelvic floor dysfunction.[12]
Constipation also has functional (neurological) causes, including anismus, descending perineum syndrome, and Hirschsprung's disease.[3] In infants, Hirschsprung's disease is the most common medical disorder associated with constipation. Anismus occurs in a small minority of persons with chronic constipation or obstructed defecation.[15]

Psychological

Voluntary withholding of the stool is a common cause of constipation.[5] The choice to withhold can be due to factors such as fear of pain, fear of public restrooms, or laziness.[5]

Diagnostic approach

The diagnosis is essentially made from the patient's description of the symptoms. Bowel movements that are difficult to pass, very firm, or made up of small hard pellets (like those excreted by rabbits) qualify as constipation, even if they occur every day. Other symptoms related to constipation can include bloating, distension, abdominal pain, headaches, a feeling of fatigue and nervous exhaustion, or a sense of incomplete emptying.[16]
Inquiring about dietary habits will often reveal a low intake of dietary fiber, inadequate amounts of fluids, poor ambulation or immobility, or medications that are associated with constipation.[5][6]
During physical examination, scybala (manually palpable lumps of stool) may be detected on palpation of the abdomen. Rectal examination gives an impression of the anal sphincter tone and whether the lower rectum contains any feces or not. Rectal examination also gives information on the consistency of the stool, presence of hemorrhoids, admixture of blood and whether any tumors, polyps or abnormalities are present. Physical examination may be done manually by the physician, or by using a colonoscope. X-rays of the abdomen, generally only performed if bowel obstruction is suspected, may reveal extensive impacted fecal matter in the colon, and confirm or rule out other causes of similar symptoms.[5][6]
Chronic constipation (symptoms present at least three days per month for more than three months) associated with abdominal discomfort is often diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) when no obvious cause is found.[17]
Colonic propagating pressure wave sequences (PSs) are responsible for discrete movements of the bowel contents and are vital for normal defecation. Deficiencies in PS frequency, amplitude and extent of propagation are all implicated in severe defecatory dysfunction (SDD). Mechanisms that can normalise these aberrant motor patterns may help rectify the problem. Recently the novel therapy of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) has been utilized for the treatment of severe constipation.[18]

Prevention

Constipation is usually easier to prevent than to treat. Following the relief of constipation, maintenance with adequate exercise, fluid intake, and high fiber diet is recommended.[5] Children benefit from scheduled toilet breaks, once early in the morning and 30 minutes after meals.[5][19]

Treatment

The main treatment of constipation involves the increased intake of water, and fiber (either dietary or as supplements).[12] The routine use of laxatives is discouraged, as having bowel movements may come to be dependent upon their use. Enemas can be used to provide a form of mechanical stimulation. However, enemas are generally useful only for stool in the rectum, not in the intestinal tract.

Laxatives

If laxatives are used, milk of magnesia is recommended as a first-line agent due to its low cost and safety.[12] Stimulants should only be used if this is not effective.[12] In cases of chronic constipation, prokinetics may be used to improve gastrointestinal motility. A number of new agents have shown positive outcomes in chronic constipation; these include prucalopride,[20] and lubiprostone.[21]

Physical intervention

Constipation that resists the above measures may require physical intervention such as manual disimpaction (the physical removal of impacted stool using the hands; see Fecal impaction).

Pediatric

Lactulose and milk of magnesia have been compared with polyethylene glycol (PEG) in children. All had similar side effects, but PEG was more effective at treating constipation.[22][23] Osmotic laxatives are recommended over stimulant laxatives.[24]

Prognosis

Complications that can arise from constipation include hemorrhoids, anal fissures, rectal prolapse, and fecal impaction.[19][25][26][27] Straining to pass stool may lead to hemorrhoids. In later stages of constipation, the abdomen may become distended, hard and diffusely tender. Severe cases ("fecal impaction" or malignant constipation) may exhibit symptoms of bowel obstruction (vomiting, very tender abdomen) and encopresis, where soft stool from the small intestine bypasses the mass of impacted fecal matter in the colon.

Epidemiology

Constipation is the most common digestive complaint in the United States as per survey data.[28] Depending on the definition employed, it occurs in 2% to 20% of the population.[12][29] It is more common in women, the elderly and children.[29] The reasons it occurs more frequently in the elderly is felt to be due to an increasing number health problems as humans age and decreased physical activity.[14]
  • 12% of the population worldwide reports having constipation.[30]
  • Chronic constipation accounts for 3% of all visits annually to pediatric outpatient clinics[25]
  • Constipation-related healthcare costs total $6.9 billion in the US annually[12]
  • More than 4 million Americans have frequent constipation, accounting for 2.5 million physician visits a year.[27]
  • Around $725 million is spent on laxative products each year in America.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Costiveness - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/costiveness. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Chatoor D, Emmnauel A (2009). "Constipation and evacuation disorders". Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 23 (4): 517–30. doi:10.1016/j.bpg.2009.05.001. PMID 19647687. 
  3. ^ a b c PMID 16677147
  4. ^ Emedicine, "constipation".
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Walia R, Mahajan L, Steffen R. Recent advances in chronic constipation. Curr Opin Pediatr. (2009);21(5):661-6. PMID: 19606041
  6. ^ a b c d McCallum IJ, Ong S, Mercer-Jones M. Chronic constipation in adults. BMJ. (2009);338:b831. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b831. PMID: 19304766
  7. ^ Emmanuel AV, Tack J, Quigley EM, Talley NJ. Pharmacological management of constipation. Neurogastroenterol Motil. (2009);21 Suppl 2:41-54. PMID: 19824937
  8. ^ a b Selby, Warwick. "Managing constipation in adults". Australian Prescriber (33): 116–9. http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/33/4/116/9. Retrieved 27 August 2010. 
  9. ^ Greene Alan, Pediatrician. "Infant constipation" 2010-01-26.
  10. ^ Patient information: Constipation in infants and children 2010-01-26
  11. ^ Infant Constipation remedies 2010-01-26
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Locke GR, Pemberton JH, Phillips SF (December 2000). "American Gastroenterological Association Medical Position Statement: guidelines on constipation". Gastroenterology 119 (6): 1761–6. doi:10.1053/gast.2000.20390. PMID 11113098. http://www.gastro.org/user-assets/Documents/02_Clinical_Practice/medical_position_statments/constipation_mps.pdf. [dead link]
  13. ^ Leung FW (February 2007). "Etiologic factors of chronic constipation: review of the scientific evidence". Dig. Dis. Sci. 52 (2): 313–6. doi:10.1007/s10620-006-9298-7. PMID 17219073. 
  14. ^ a b Hsieh C (December 2005). "Treatment of constipation in older adults". Am Fam Physician 72 (11): 2277–84. PMID 16342852. 
  15. ^ PMID 9293931
  16. ^ MedicineNet
  17. ^ Longstreth GF, Thompson WG, Chey WD, Houghton LA, Mearin F, Spiller RC (2006). "Functional bowel disorders". Gastroenterology 130 (5): 1480–91. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2005.11.061. PMID 16678561. 
  18. ^ Philip G. Dinning (2007). "Colonic manometry and sacral nerve stimulation in patients with severe constipation". Pelviperineology 26 (3): 114–116. [1]
  19. ^ a b Bharucha A. Constipation. Best Practice and Research Clinical Gastroenterology. 2007;21:709.
  20. ^ Camilleri M, Deiteren A (February 2010). "Prucalopride for constipation". Expert Opin Pharmacother 11 (3): 451–61. doi:10.1517/14656560903567057. PMID 20102308. 
  21. ^ Barish CF, Drossman D, Johanson JF, Ueno R (April 2010). "Efficacy and safety of lubiprostone in patients with chronic constipation". Dig. Dis. Sci. 55 (4): 1090–7. doi:10.1007/s10620-009-1068-x. PMID 20012484. 
  22. ^ "BestBets: Is PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) a more effective laxative than Lactulose in the treatment of a child who is constipated?". http://www.bestbets.org/bets/bet.php?id=1471. 
  23. ^ Candy D, Belsey J (February 2009). "Macrogol (polyethylene glycol) laxatives in children with functional constipation and faecal impaction: a systematic review". Arch. Dis. Child. 94 (2): 156–60. doi:10.1136/adc.2007.128769. PMID 19019885. 
  24. ^ "BestBets: Osmotic laxative are preferable to the use of stimulant laxatives in the constipated child". http://www.bestbets.org/bets/bet.php?id=1478. 
  25. ^ a b Walia R, Mahajan L, Steffen R (October 2009). "Recent advances in chronic constipation". Curr. Opin. Pediatr. 21 (5): 661–6. doi:10.1097/MOP.0b013e32832ff241. PMID 19606041. 
  26. ^ McCallum IJ, Ong S, Mercer-Jones M (2009). "Chronic constipation in adults". BMJ 338: b831. doi:10.1136/bmj.b831. PMID 19304766. 
  27. ^ a b c National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. (2007) NIH Publication No. 07–2754. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation/#treatment, Accessed 7-18-10.
  28. ^ "CONSTIPATION". http://www.uwgi.org/guidelines/ch_05/CH05TXT.HTM. 
  29. ^ a b Sonnenberg A, Koch TR (1989). "Epidemiology of constipation in the United States". Dis. Colon Rectum 32 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1007/BF02554713. PMID 2910654. 
  30. ^ Wald A, Kamm MA, Muller-Lissner SA, Scarpignato C, Marx W, Schuijt C. The BI Omnibus Study: An international survey of community prevalence of constipation and laxative use in adults. Digestive Disorders Week. 20–25 May 2006. Abstract T1255. http://www.dulcolaxo.es/es/Main/Notas_de_Prensa/Poster_Epi_data_FINAL_06.05.08.pdf, Accessed 7-18-10)

External links

Friday, November 12, 2010

Signs and symptoms of " COLON CANCER"

The symptoms of colorectal cancer depend on the location of tumor in the bowel, and whether it has spread elsewhere in the body (metastasis). Most of the symptoms may occur in other diseases as well, and hence none of the symptoms mentioned here is diagnostic of colorectal cancer. Symptoms and signs are divided into local, constitutional (affecting the whole body) and metastatic (caused by spread to other organs).

Local

Local symptoms are more likely if the tumor is located closer to the anus. There may be a change in bowel habit (new-onset constipation or diarrhea in the absence of another cause), and a feeling of incomplete defecation (rectal tenesmus) and reduction in diameter of stool; tenesmus and change in stool shape are both characteristic of rectal cancer. Lower gastrointestinal bleeding, including the passage of bright red blood in the stool, may indicate colorectal cancer, as may the increased presence of mucus. Melena, black stool with a tarry appearance, normally occurs in upper gastrointestinal bleeding (such as from a duodenal ulcer), but is sometimes encountered in colorectal cancer when the disease is located in the beginning of the large bowel.
A tumor that is large enough to fill the entire lumen of the bowel may cause bowel obstruction. This situation is characterized by constipation, abdominal pain, abdominal distension and vomiting. This occasionally leads to the obstructed and distended bowel perforating and causing peritonitis.A large left colonic tumour may compress the left ureter and cause hydronephrosis.
Certain local effects of colorectal cancer occur when the disease has become more advanced. A large tumor is more likely to be noticed on feeling the abdomen, and it may be noticed by a doctor on physical examination. The disease may invade other organs, and may cause blood or air in the urine (invasion of the bladder) or vaginal discharge (invasion of the female reproductive tract).

Constitutional

If a tumor has caused chronic occult bleeding, iron deficiency anemia may occur; this may be experienced as fatigue, palpitations and noticed as pallor (pale appearance of the skin). Colorectal cancer may also lead to weight loss, generally due to a decreased appetite.
More unusual constitutional symptoms are an unexplained fever and one of several paraneoplastic syndromes. The most common paraneoplastic syndrome is thrombosis, usually deep vein thrombosis.

WHAT IS COLON CANCER???

Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer, includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. With 655,000 deaths worldwide per year, it is the fourth most common form of cancer in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world.[1][2] Colorectal cancers arise from adenomatous polyps in the colon. These mushroom-shaped growths are usually benign, but some develop into cancer over time. Localized colon cancer is usually diagnosed through colonoscopy.
Invasive cancers that are confined within the wall of the colon (TNM stages I and II) are curable with surgery. If untreated, they spread to regional lymph nodes (stage III), where up to 73% are curable by surgery and chemotherapy. Cancer that metastasizes to distant sites (stage IV) is usually not curable, although chemotherapy can extend survival, and in rare cases, surgery and chemotherapy together have seen patients through to a cure.[3] Radiation is used with rectal cancer.
On the cellular and molecular level, colorectal cancer starts with a mutation to the Wnt signaling pathway. When Wnt binds to a receptor on the cell, that sets in motion a chain of molecular events that ends with β-catenin moving into the nucleus and activating a gene on DNA. In colorectal cancer, genes along this chain are damaged. Usually, a gene called APC, which is a "brake" on the Wnt pathway, is damaged. Without a working APC brake, the Wnt pathway is stuck in the "on" position.[3]