The Encyclopedia of the Digestive System and Digestive Disorders

384 Pages·2010·2.34 MB·English

by  Anil Minocha

The encyclopedia of
The digesTive sysTem
and digesTive disorders
second edition

The encyclopedia of
The digesTive sysTem
and digesTive disorders
second edition
anil minocha, m.d.
christine adamec
The Encyclopedia of the Digestive System and Digestive Disorders, Second Edition
Copyright © 2011, 2004 by Anil Minocha, M.D., and Christine Adamec
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact:
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Minocha, Anil.
The encyclopedia of the digestive system and digestive disorders / Anil Minocha, Christine Adamec. — 2nd ed.
p. ; cm. — (Facts on File library of health and living)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-7661-1 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4381-3399-7 (e-book)
ISBN-10: 0-8160-7661-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Gastrointestinal system—Encyclopedias. 2. Digestive
organs—Encyclopedias. 3. Gastrointestinal system—Diseases—Encyclopedias. 4. Digestive organs—
Diseases—Encyclopedias. I. Adamec, Christine A., 1949– II. Title. III. Series: Facts on File library of health
and living.
[DNLM: 1. Digestive System—Encyclopedias—English. 2. Digestive System Diseases—Encyclopedias—
English. WI 13]
RC802.M567 2010
616.3003—dc22 2010028790
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Text design by Annie O’Donnell
Composition by Hermitage Publishing Services
Cover printed by Sheridan Books, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Book printed and bound by Sheridan Books, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Date printed: November 2010
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Dr. Minocha would like to dedicate this book to his loving parents,
Ram. S. Minocha and Kamla Devi Minocha, and to his daughter,
Geeta P. Minocha.
Christine Adamec would like to dedicate this book to her husband,
John Adamec, in grateful appreciation of his
continued support throughout this project.
h

conTenTs
foreword ix
introduction: a history of digestive diseases
and disorders xi
entries a to Z 1
appendixes 285
Bibliography 327
index 333

foreword
I am a practicing gastroenterologist and a medical broad range of medications used to treat digestive
school professor, as well as the author of numer- diseases. This new edition covers concerns that
ous articles for medical journals and self-help books have recently come to light, such as the risks of
for the general public, such as How to Stop Heartburn nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
and Natural Stomach Care, in addition to books written along with withdrawal of COX-2 inhibitors. In fact,
specifically for physicians. My different roles give me some organizations, such as the American Geriat-
a broad and current overview of both common and rics Society, are so concerned about the effects of
rare diseases and disorders of the digestive system. NSAIDs that in 2009 they urged their members
From these perspectives, I see significant advances as to prescribe opiates to elderly patients rather than
well as some disturbing trends. For example, I have NSAIDs.
seen overweight and obesity rates escalate dramati- The new edition also covers the latest technol-
cally in the United States. The majority (two-thirds) ogy used to diagnose and treat digestive diseases
of all Americans are known to be either overweight and disorders; for example, wireless endoscopy
or obese. As a result, they are at risk for many dis- enables physicians using a noninvasive means
orders, such as diabetes mellitus, gallbladder disease, to visualize regions of the small bowel that are
hypertension, and the third-most common form of not easily within the reach of standard endos-
cancer, colorectal cancer, as well as cancers of the copy, thus increasing the likelihood of pinpointing
stomach and the liver. I urge and challenge readers the causes of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding
with a weight problem to lose weight to decrease and other digestive problems. At the same time,
their risk for these diseases. Even a loss of 10 pounds double-balloon enteroscopy enables physicians to
can make a dramatic difference. evaluate most of the length of the small bowel,
Another issue affecting public health is the rap- regions formerly difficult to explore.
idly aging population in the United States, with the The effects of bacteria have been known for
first of the baby boomers (born between 1946 and more than a hundred years, but despite this knowl-
1964) reaching age 65 in 2011, and many more edge, many patients worldwide have died of bacte-
to follow. Older people are more prone to many rial and parasitic infections that were transmitted
digestive disorders ranging from gastroesophageal through contaminated food and water. This new
reflux disease and ulcers to cancers of the diges- edition provides recent data on both common and
tive system. Many elderly people also suffer from less common bacterial infestations that affect the
chronic constipation and other daily digestive digestive system, such as cholera, Clostridium, and
annoyances. These topics are all thoroughly cov- Cryptosporidium. However, many digestive enigmas
ered in this second edition. remain unresolved. There remains much to learn,
In addition, my coauthor and I discuss alterna- and important research continues. For example,
tive remedies for digestive disorders as well as the many forms of cancer are still rapid killers, such as
ix