Condition Lookup

Pyloric Stenosis

Sub-category: Structural and Functional Disorders

Symptoms:
forceful projectile vomiting (non-bilious); palpable olive-shaped mass in the abdomen; dehydration; weight loss; persistent hunger

Root Cause:
Thickening of the pyloric sphincter muscle, causing narrowing of the passage between the stomach and duodenum, leading to obstruction.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Ultrasound is the gold standard for diagnosis, showing thickened pyloric muscle. Additional tests may include an upper GI series (contrast study) for confirmation.

Treatment:
Surgery (pyloromyotomy) to cut the thickened muscle and relieve obstruction. Preoperative treatment involves correcting dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Medications:
No long-term medications; immediate care involves IV fluids for dehydration and electrolyte replenishment. Antiemetics like ondansetron may be used temporarily.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in approximately 2-3 per 1,000 live births, more common in male infants.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Male sex, firstborn status, family history of pyloric stenosis, and macrolide antibiotic use during early infancy.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with timely surgical intervention; most infants recover fully without long-term complications.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance (e.g., hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis), and failure to thrive if left untreated.

Empty Nose Syndrome

Specialty: Nose and Throat

Category: Nasal Conditions

Sub-category: Structural and Functional Disorders

Symptoms:
nasal dryness; difficulty breathing despite an open airway; sense of suffocation; nasal crusting; reduced sense of smell; chronic fatigue; depression or anxiety

Root Cause:
Damage to the nasal mucosa or turbinate tissue, often due to excessive surgical removal during turbinate reduction or nasal surgery.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical history (including prior nasal surgery), nasal endoscopy, and patient-reported symptoms that do not correlate with objective airflow measurements.

Treatment:
Saline nasal irrigation, humidification, topical moisturizers, and sometimes surgical interventions (e.g., turbinate implants or reconstruction) to restore nasal function.

Medications:
Topical saline sprays or gels to maintain moisture, and sometimes topical corticosteroids to reduce inflammation (e.g., fluticasone ).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, occurring in a small percentage of patients undergoing nasal surgeries, particularly aggressive turbinate reductions.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
History of turbinate surgery, excessive tissue removal during nasal procedures, and pre-existing nasal dryness.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Challenging to treat, with variable outcomes depending on severity; some patients achieve symptom relief with conservative management or surgery.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic discomfort, insomnia, psychological distress, and reduced quality of life.

Gastroparesis (Delayed Gastric Emptying)

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Stomach Disorders

Sub-category: Structural and Functional Disorders

Symptoms:
nausea; vomiting; bloating; early satiety; abdominal pain; unintentional weight loss; heartburn

Root Cause:
Impaired motility of the stomach muscles prevents proper emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine, often associated with vagus nerve damage or autonomic dysfunction.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosed through gastric emptying studies (scintigraphy), upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy to rule out obstruction, and breath tests (e.g., carbon-labeled meal breath test).

Treatment:
Dietary changes (small, low-fat meals), medications to improve gastric motility, and in severe cases, gastric electrical stimulation or feeding tubes.

Medications:
Metoclopramide (dopamine antagonist) is often prescribed to improve stomach contractions. Domperidone (dopamine antagonist) is another option available in some regions. Erythromycin (macrolide antibiotic) can enhance gastric motility as a side effect. Antiemetics such as ondansetron or promethazine may be used to manage nausea.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 0.2% of the general population; higher prevalence among individuals with diabetes or post-surgical complications.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Diabetes mellitus, prior gastric surgery, systemic diseases like scleroderma, infections, and certain medications (e.g., opioids, anticholinergics).

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies; many cases improve with dietary changes and medications, but severe cases may lead to malnutrition and require surgical interventions.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Malnutrition, dehydration, bezoars (hardened masses of undigested food), and severe weight loss.

Gastric Outlet Obstruction

Specialty: Gastrointestinal

Category: Stomach Disorders

Sub-category: Structural and Functional Disorders

Symptoms:
nausea; vomiting (often projectile); abdominal bloating; early satiety; unintentional weight loss; upper abdominal pain

Root Cause:
Blockage at the pylorus or first part of the duodenum due to peptic ulcers, tumors, scarring, or inflammation, leading to impaired gastric emptying.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosed using upper GI endoscopy, contrast-enhanced X-rays (barium swallow), or abdominal CT scans to identify the cause of obstruction.

Treatment:
Endoscopic dilation of the obstruction, medications to reduce inflammation (e.g., proton pump inhibitors for ulcer-related obstructions), and surgical interventions (e.g., gastrojejunostomy).

Medications:
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole or pantoprazole are used for ulcer healing. Antiemetics such as ondansetron may address nausea. Antibiotics might be necessary if Helicobacter pylori infection is involved.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Uncommon in the general population but seen in individuals with untreated peptic ulcers or gastric tumors.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic NSAID use, untreated H. pylori infection, gastric tumors, and prior gastric surgeries.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally favorable if the underlying cause is identified and treated; untreated obstructions can lead to severe dehydration and malnutrition.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Malnutrition, severe dehydration, metabolic alkalosis from repeated vomiting, and gastric perforation if untreated.