Condition Lookup

Cholelithiasis (Gallstones)

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Symptoms:
right upper abdominal pain; nausea; vomiting; jaundice; pain after fatty meals

Root Cause:
Formation of solid particles (gallstones) in the gallbladder due to an imbalance in bile components, including cholesterol, bile salts, and bilirubin.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Abdominal ultrasound, blood tests for liver function, and imaging like CT or MRI when complications are suspected.

Treatment:
Watchful waiting for asymptomatic cases, cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder) for symptomatic cases, or non-surgical options like oral bile acid therapy or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy.

Medications:
Ursodeoxycholic acid (ursodiol ) can be prescribed; it is a bile acid therapy that helps dissolve cholesterol gallstones over time.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects 10–15% of the adult population in developed countries; more common in women and older adults.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Female gender, obesity, rapid weight loss, high-fat diet, pregnancy, and family history.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with treatment; asymptomatic gallstones may never cause issues, while symptomatic cases resolve after gallbladder removal.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis, bile duct obstruction, and gallbladder cancer in rare cases.

Cholecystitis (Inflammation of the Gallbladder)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Gallbladder Diseases

Symptoms:
severe upper abdominal pain; fever; nausea; vomiting; tenderness in the right upper abdomen

Root Cause:
Inflammation of the gallbladder, usually caused by gallstones blocking the cystic duct, leading to bile stasis and bacterial infection.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Physical examination, abdominal ultrasound, blood tests indicating inflammation (e.g., elevated WBC, CRP), and imaging like HIDA scan.

Treatment:
Intravenous fluids, antibiotics for infection, pain management, and cholecystectomy (urgent or delayed based on severity).

Medications:
Antibiotics like ceftriaxone (a cephalosporin) combined with metronidazole (an anaerobic antibiotic) to treat infection. Pain management may include NSAIDs or opioids.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common among individuals with gallstones; prevalence increases with age and in women.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Gallstones, obesity, older age, female gender, and prior episodes of biliary colic.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Favorable with treatment; untreated cases can lead to severe complications.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Gallbladder rupture, sepsis, emphysematous cholecystitis, and biliary peritonitis.

Acalculous Cholecystitis

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Gallbladder Diseases

Symptoms:
right upper abdominal pain; fever; nausea; vomiting; jaundice

Root Cause:
Inflammation of the gallbladder without gallstones, often caused by critical illness, ischemia, or infection.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Ultrasound showing gallbladder wall thickening, pericholecystic fluid, or positive HIDA scan; lab findings may show elevated liver enzymes and WBCs.

Treatment:
Supportive care with IV fluids, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and cholecystectomy or percutaneous cholecystostomy if the condition does not resolve.

Medications:
Broad-spectrum antibiotics like piperacillin-tazobactam (a beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor) to cover potential infections.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for 5–10% of all cholecystitis cases; more common in critically ill patients.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Major surgery, trauma, burns, prolonged fasting, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and sepsis.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; outcomes depend on underlying conditions and timely intervention.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Gallbladder gangrene, perforation, abscess formation, and systemic sepsis.

Choledocholithiasis (Bile Duct Stones)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Biliary Tract Disorders

Symptoms:
right upper quadrant abdominal pain; jaundice; dark urine; pale stools; nausea; vomiting; fever (if cholangitis develops)

Root Cause:
Obstruction of the bile duct by gallstones, leading to impaired bile flow.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests (elevated bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and liver enzymes); imaging studies like ultrasound, MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography), or ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography).

Treatment:
ERCP to remove stones; in some cases, surgery or lithotripsy may be needed.

Medications:
Pain relievers (NSAIDs like ibuprofen or opioids like morphine ), antibiotics if infection is present (e.g., ciprofloxacin or metronidazole ).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 10-20% of individuals with gallstones develop bile duct stones.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
History of gallstones, older age, obesity, rapid weight loss, female sex, family history.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with timely treatment; recurrence may occur without addressing risk factors.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Cholangitis, pancreatitis, bile duct strictures, liver abscesses.

Cholangitis (Infection of the Bile Ducts)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Biliary Tract Disorders

Symptoms:
fever; chills; right upper quadrant abdominal pain; jaundice; dark urine; nausea; vomiting; hypotension (in severe cases)

Root Cause:
Bacterial infection due to bile duct obstruction, typically caused by stones, strictures, or tumors.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosed through clinical signs (Charcot's triad), elevated liver function tests, imaging like ultrasound or MRCP, and sometimes blood cultures to confirm infection.

Treatment:
ERCP to relieve obstruction; broad-spectrum antibiotics (e.g., piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftriaxone, metronidazole).

Medications:
Broad-spectrum antibiotics, typically from the penicillin or cephalosporin family, combined with anti-anaerobic agents (e.g., metronidazole ); antipyretics like acetaminophen .

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
More common in individuals with a history of gallstones; incidence is 0.3-1.6 per 1,000 hospital admissions.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Gallstones, bile duct strictures, history of bile duct surgery, endoscopic procedures, malignancy.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early intervention; mortality is high in untreated cases or septic shock.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Sepsis, liver abscesses, recurrent infections, secondary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Autoimmune Liver Diseases

Symptoms:
fatigue; itching (pruritus); dry mouth and eyes; right upper quadrant discomfort; jaundice (in advanced stages); dark urine; pale stools

Root Cause:
Autoimmune destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts, leading to cholestasis and eventual liver damage.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests showing elevated alkaline phosphatase and antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA); liver biopsy or imaging if necessary.

Treatment:
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) to slow disease progression; obeticholic acid for those intolerant to or unresponsive to UDCA.

Medications:
Ursodeoxycholic acid (bile acid analog), obeticholic acid (FXR agonist), cholestyramine (for itching).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 40 cases per 100,000; more common in women (9:1 ratio).

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Female sex, family history, smoking, environmental triggers.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; good with early treatment, but untreated cases may progress to cirrhosis and liver failure.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Cirrhosis, portal hypertension, osteoporosis, vitamin deficiencies, hepatocellular carcinoma.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Autoimmune Liver Diseases

Symptoms:
fatigue; itching (pruritus); right upper quadrant pain; fever (in acute infections); jaundice; dark urine; pale stools

Root Cause:
Chronic inflammation and scarring of bile ducts, leading to cholestasis and liver damage; often associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Elevated liver enzymes (ALP, GGT); MRCP or ERCP showing bile duct strictures; liver biopsy in uncertain cases.

Treatment:
No definitive cure; management focuses on symptom relief and slowing progression. ERCP for bile duct strictures; liver transplant for advanced disease.

Medications:
Ursodeoxycholic acid (limited efficacy), cholestyramine for itching, antibiotics for cholangitis episodes.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, with an incidence of 0.5-1 per 100,000; more common in men and those with IBD.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Male sex, inflammatory bowel disease (particularly ulcerative colitis), genetic predisposition.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; median survival without transplant is 10-20 years.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Cirrhosis, portal hypertension, bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), recurrent infections, liver failure.

Gallstone Pancreatitis

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis

Symptoms:
severe upper abdominal pain; nausea; vomiting; fever; jaundice; pain radiating to the back

Root Cause:
Gallstones block the bile duct or pancreatic duct, causing inflammation of the pancreas.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests (elevated lipase and amylase levels), abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography).

Treatment:
Hospitalization, fasting (to rest the pancreas), IV fluids, pain management, antibiotics (if infection is present), and ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) to remove gallstones. Surgery (cholecystectomy) is performed later to prevent recurrence.

Medications:
Pain relievers (opioids like morphine or hydromorphone ), antispasmodics, and antibiotics such as piperacillin-tazobactam or ceftriaxone with metronidazole if infection is suspected.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Most common in adults with gallstones, accounting for 35–40% of acute pancreatitis cases in the U.S.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Gallstones, obesity, female sex, older age, rapid weight loss, high-fat diet.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with timely treatment; recurrence is prevented with gallstone removal. Mortality risk increases with severe or untreated cases.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Pancreatic necrosis, infection, pseudocysts, organ failure, or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Alcohol-Induced Pancreatitis

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis

Symptoms:
severe abdominal pain; pain radiating to the back; nausea; vomiting; weight loss; diarrhea; steatorrhea (fatty stools)

Root Cause:
Chronic alcohol consumption leads to inflammation, scarring, and dysfunction of the pancreas.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
History of alcohol use, blood tests (elevated lipase and amylase levels), imaging (CT, MRI, or ultrasound), and stool tests for fat malabsorption.

Treatment:
Abstinence from alcohol, supportive care with IV fluids, pain management, enzyme replacement therapy, nutritional support, and addressing complications.

Medications:
Pancreatic enzyme supplements (e.g., pancrelipase ), pain relievers (e.g., acetaminophen or opioids for severe cases), proton pump inhibitors (to reduce gastric acid).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Alcohol is the second most common cause of acute pancreatitis and a leading cause of chronic pancreatitis, often affecting males aged 30–50 years.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic alcohol use, genetic predisposition, smoking, high-fat diet, concurrent gallstone disease.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; improved with alcohol cessation. Chronic cases can lead to irreversible damage, diabetes, and complications.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic pancreatitis, pseudocysts, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, pancreatic cancer, or organ failure.

Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Pancreatic Tumors

Symptoms:
abdominal pain radiating to the back; unexplained weight loss; jaundice; loss of appetite; nausea; vomiting; new-onset diabetes; fatigue

Root Cause:
Malignant tumor originating from the exocrine cells of the pancreas, often associated with mutations in KRAS, p53, or SMAD4 genes. It often causes obstruction of the bile ducts or invasion of nearby tissues.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies like CT or MRI scans; endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with biopsy; CA 19-9 tumor marker blood test; fine-needle aspiration biopsy

Treatment:
Surgical resection (e.g., Whipple procedure); chemotherapy (e.g., FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine-based regimens); radiotherapy for localized tumors; palliative care for symptom management in advanced cases

Medications:
Chemotherapeutic agents such as gemcitabine (antimetabolite), nab-paclitaxel (microtubule inhibitor), or FOLFIRINOX (combination regimen including oxaliplatin , irinotecan , fluorouracil , and leucovorin ).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for approximately 90% of pancreatic cancers; globally, it is the 7th leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking; chronic pancreatitis; family history of pancreatic cancer; obesity; type 2 diabetes; genetic syndromes such as BRCA mutations or Lynch syndrome

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poor prognosis; the 5-year survival rate is approximately 10%, with earlier detection improving outcomes.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Obstruction of the bile duct or intestines; diabetes; malnutrition; metastasis to the liver or peritoneum; pain requiring intensive palliative care

Neuroendocrine Tumors (e.g., Insulinoma, Glucagonoma)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Pancreatic Tumors

Symptoms:
hypoglycemia symptoms such as sweating, palpitations, confusion, seizures (in insulinoma); hyperglycemia, weight loss, necrolytic migratory erythema (in glucagonoma); diarrhea; abdominal pain; flushing (in other nets)

Root Cause:
Tumors arising from the endocrine cells of the pancreas, often secreting hormones like insulin or glucagon in excess, leading to systemic metabolic effects.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Hormone level measurement in blood (e.g., insulin, glucagon, gastrin); imaging such as CT, MRI, or somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS); EUS-guided biopsy; functional imaging like DOTATATE PET scan

Treatment:
Surgical resection is the primary treatment for localized tumors; somatostatin analogs like octreotide or lanreotide for hormone control; targeted therapies (e.g., everolimus or sunitinib); peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) for metastatic disease

Medications:
Somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide and lanreotide ) to control hormone secretion and tumor growth; everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) or sunitinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) for advanced or metastatic disease.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; accounts for about 7% of all pancreatic cancers; incidence is approximately 1-5 per 100,000 population annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1); family history of NETs; chronic pancreatitis

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; depends on tumor type, size, and stage. Insulinomas typically have an excellent prognosis if surgically removed, while metastatic NETs have a median survival of 5-10 years with treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Hormonal crises (e.g., severe hypoglycemia in insulinoma); metastasis to the liver or bone; nutritional deficiencies; intestinal obstruction or ischemia in advanced cases

Pancreatic Cysts

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Gallbladder and Biliary Tract Disorders

Sub-category: Other Pancreatic Disorders

Symptoms:
abdominal pain; nausea; vomiting; jaundice (if the cyst compresses the bile duct); unintended weight loss; palpable mass in the abdomen

Root Cause:
Fluid-filled sacs in the pancreas caused by a variety of conditions, such as pancreatitis, trauma, or neoplasms.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies like CT scan, MRI, or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), combined with fine-needle aspiration for cyst fluid analysis.

Treatment:
Treatment depends on the type of cyst. Observation for benign or asymptomatic cysts, drainage, or surgical removal for symptomatic, infected, or potentially malignant cysts.

Medications:
Antibiotics like ciprofloxacin or metronidazole for infected cysts; proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to reduce pancreatic inflammation in associated conditions.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Seen in approximately 10-20% of patients undergoing imaging for unrelated reasons; prevalence increases with age.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Acute or chronic pancreatitis, alcohol use, gallstones, abdominal trauma, family history of pancreatic cysts.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally good for benign cysts; malignant potential depends on the type (e.g., intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, or IPMN, has a higher risk).

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Risk of rupture, infection, hemorrhage, or transformation into pancreatic cancer.