What pathology is the caput medusae characteristic during examination of the abdomen?
The caput medusae sign is seen in patients with severe portal hypertension. It describes the appearance of distended and engorged paraumbilical veins, which are seen radiating from the umbilicus across the abdomen to join the systemic veins.
What is caput Medusa?
Caput medusae is one of the cardinal features of portal hypertension. The appearance is due to cutanous portosystemic collateral formation between distended and engorged paraumbilical veins that radiate from the umbilicus across the abdomen to join systemic veins.
What is the pathophysiology of Spider Angioma?
The exact etiology of the spider nevus (nevus araneus) is unclear. Estrogen-excess states such as pregnancy and liver disease have been associated with spider angiomas for many years. This hypothesis is partially based on the hormone’s dilating effects on endometrial spiral arterioles during pregnancy.
What causes rupture of esophageal varices?
Esophageal varices develop when normal blood flow to the liver is blocked by a clot or scar tissue in the liver. To go around the blockages, blood flows into smaller blood vessels that aren’t designed to carry large volumes of blood. The vessels can leak blood or even rupture, causing life-threatening bleeding.
What is spider angioma?
Spider angioma is an abnormal collection of blood vessels near the surface of the skin. Blood used by the body is brought back to the heart and lungs by the veins of the body. Once the blood has gathered more oxygen from the lungs, it is pumped back out to the body through the arteries.
Which of the following organs is typically associated with multiple spider angiomas?
Although spider angiomas can be associated with liver disease, pregnancy, and estrogen therapy, they are frequently idiopathic and may occur in up to 15% of normal children and young adults.
What causes varices to bleed?
Cause of Bleeding Varices It’s often due to scarring of the liver, or cirrhosis. This increased pressure in the portal vein causes blood to be pushed away from the liver to smaller blood vessels, which are not able to handle the increased amount of blood.
What are Grade 1 esophageal varices?
Based on the size, the esophageal varices are classified as follows. Grade 1: Esophageal varices appear to be straight and small in size. Here, the varices extend just above the levels of mucus. Grade 2: Esophageal varices get enlarged and twisted and occupy less than one-third of the inside space of esophagus.
What is caput medusae and what causes it?
Caput medusae is almost always caused by portal hypertension. This refers to high pressure in your portal vein. The portal vein carries blood to your liver from your intestines, gall bladder, pancreas, and spleen. The liver processes the nutrients in the blood and then sends the blood along to the heart.
What causes caput medusae and varicose veins?
The root cause of caput medusae is portal hypertension, which is an increase in pressure in the portal vein. That’s the vein that moves blood from your digestive tract to your liver. When the portal vein is blocked, the blood volume increases in the surrounding blood vessels, and they turn into varicose veins.
What is the treatment for caput medusae in portal hypertension?
No specific treatment is required for caput medusae. It is rarely encountered in clinical practice nowadays due to earlier diagnosis and treatment of portal hypertension. Treatment is directed at the cause of portal hypertension. Gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage is the most dramatic and lethal complication of portal hypertension.
How do you assess caput medusae?
Caput medusae (Fig. 148-4) in the periumbilical area implies recanalization of the umbilical vein due to portal hypertension. The presence of ascites (Fig. 148-5) can be assessed by percussion of the abdomen and the detection of shifting dullness or a fluid wave.