Definition Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) derive from neuroendocrine cells (also called enterochromaffin cells or enterochromaffin-like cells) of the endoderm of the fore-, mid-, and hindgut. These cells are diffusely distributed in the epithelium of the gastroenteropancreatic system, the bronchial system, and…
Acknowledgment I thank Cory Sandone for her artwork on small bowel neoplasms. Introduction Neoplasms of the small intestine are rare, accounting for 3% to 6% of gastrointestinal neoplasms overall and 1% to 3% of primary gastrointestinal cancers. The incidence of…
Introduction Crohn disease is described according to age of onset, disease location, and disease behavior. The disease location usually remains constant throughout a patient’s lifetime and is categorized as disease of the terminal ileum with or without cecal disease, disease…
Introduction Crohn disease (CD) has a propensity for involvement of the terminal ileum and colon but also can occur throughout the gastrointestinal tract. When it occurs in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, it presents challenges in diagnosis and management. The…
Introduction The successful clinical introduction of intestinal and multivisceral transplantation in the 1990s fueled a great interest in the management of patients with short gut syndrome (SGS) and gastrointestinal failure. With the early restricted utilization of transplantation as a rescue…
Introduction Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a form of intestinal failure that most often results from surgical resection related to Crohn disease, mesenteric infarction, radiation enteritis, or surgery for recurrent bowel obstructions. It is characterized by the inability to absorb…
Extent of the Problem Small bowel obstruction is a common problem that is responsible for more than 1 million inpatient hospital days and more than $1 billion in health care costs per year in the United States. In some European…
Introduction Constipation is the most common bowel complaint in the United States, with an estimated prevalence of 2% to 27%. The wide range is attributed to the variety of definitions of constipation used by patients and physicians. The Rome Criteria,…
Introduction Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a condition in which multiple gas-filled cysts occur under the serosa or mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. PCI is uncommon but increasingly is being recognized and reported. PCI was described by Du Vernoi in…
Introduction Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. A chronic inflammatory reaction induces scar tissue and adhesion formation that may distort a woman’s pelvic anatomy and cause disabling pelvic pain…