Brain Atrophy
What Is Chronic Or Recurrent Abdominal Pain? A bdominal pain is characterized by pain anywhere in the abdominal cavity between the chest and groin. This region is often referred to as the belly. Abdominal pain,…
What Is Chronic Or Recurrent Abdominal Pain? A bdominal pain is characterized by pain anywhere in the abdominal cavity between the chest and groin. This region is often referred to as the belly. Abdominal pain,…

A denocarcinomas are malignant tumors, or cancer, of the small bowel arising out of glandular tissue. They fall in the category of rare neoplasm, comprising only 3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies.
Primary adenocarcinoma is the most common histological (cell) subtype constituting 35–50% of cases.1
Q: What does adenocarcinoma look like?
A: Adenocarcinoma may manifest as strictures, nodules, excavating masses, or annular lesions.2
What Is Carbohydrate Malabsorption? C arbohydrate malabsorption is a digestive disorder characterized by the inability to properly digest and absorb carbohydrates within the small intestine to supply needed energy to the body. Q: What carbohydrates should be…
What Is Chronic Diarrhea?C hronic diarrhea is an intestinal motility disorder characterized by 1) alteration in stool formation causing loose to fluid movements and quantity of movements with or without abdominal pain and 2) interference with normal carbohydrate salvage by the intestinal microbe population.
The severity of diarrhea is determined by the frequency and quantity of fluid lost.
Q: What is carbohydrate salvage by microbes in the colon?
A: Carbohydrate salvage in the colon is the necessary process whereby billions of microbes normally present in the colon work to breakdown undigestible carbohydrate foodstuffs such as fiber that continually arrive from the small intestine.
The microbial action releases energy to the body that would otherwise be lost with defecation, generates short-chain fatty acids, and stimulates sodium and fluid absorption. In this important process, butyrate and proprionate are produced which nourish the colonocytes (cells that line the colon), and acetate is produced for the liver.
While diarrhea may be a common symptom of small bowel mucosal disease, the consequent malabsorption can lead to substantial malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies. The small intestine, unlike the colon, has been relatively inaccessible, and systematic evaluation is often necessary to identify and treat small intestinal mucosal diseases that lead to diarrhea. All patients with severe diarrhea or diarrhea associated with features suggestive of malabsorption may have a disease of the small intestinal mucosa that requires careful evaluation and targeted management.1
What Is Anorexia?Anorexia or loss of appetite is a reduced desire to eat which can cause unintentional weight loss.
Anorexia is a feature of many disorders caused by malutrition such as celiac disease and aging or gastrointestinal problems such as chronic gastroenteritis, and dysgeusia (loss of taste).
Q: Are there other conditions that cause anorexia?
A: Other underlying problem include medication side effects, infection, chronic pain, depression, grief, dehydration, hormonal dysfunction such as thyroid disease, primary hyperparathyroidism, or Addison’s disease, autoimmune mechanisms such as sarcoidosis, and cancer growth.
What Is Increased Appetite?Increased appetite is the increased desire for food.
Q: What causes appetite.
A: Appetite is caused by hunger.
The brain monitors nutritional needs and employs a hunger mechanism to alert us when fresh food is needed. Hunger is mainly caused by the need for protein. Low blood sugar also triggers hunger.
The tempting sight, smell, taste and expectation of food stimulates involuntary sensory nerves. By reflex action, these sensory nerves cause muscle and sensory activity in various digestive organs. Salivary glands in the mouth begin to secrete saliva as stomach glands and muscles become active.1