~Ã pt with diarrhea, see if you can help~ - cricoid

[ArchivalUser]

cc

[ArchivalUser]

yes cc

[ArchivalUser]

~Correct Answer ::: C
Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction may be associated with a paraneoplastic syndrome.

This patient has symptoms of bowel obstruction, even though imaging studies and laparoscopy show no evidence of obstruction. However, the small bowel follow-through radiographic series demonstrated dilatation of the bowel, making chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction a reasonable diagnosis. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a disorder of gastrointestinal motility that involves abnormal small bowel pacemaker cells (interstitial cells of Cajal). Pseudo-obstruction may be a neuropathic disorder (paraneoplastic syndrome) or a myopathic condition secondary to smooth muscle disease (e.g., amyloidosis or systemic sclerosis). This patient has a paraneoplastic syndrome, which typically occurs in smokers who develop small cell lung cancer and is associated with acute symptoms and rapid weight loss. The abnormal chest radiograph findings also support this diagnosis.

Small bowel lymphoma may cause obstructive symptoms, but abnormalities of the small bowel lumen are usually found during laparoscopy or radiologic studies. Both systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and amyloidosis may cause intestinal pseudo-obstruction, but other physical findings, such as skin thickening and extraintestinal manifestations, are usually present, none of which this patient has.