Cystic fibrosis (abdominal manifestations)
Updates to Article Attributes
Abdominal manifestations in cystic fibrosis are common, varied and nearly all organ systems can be affected.
Only 39% of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have pulmonary symptoms as their sole complaint 1. 7% of CF patients do not present until adulthood.
For a general discussion of cystic fibrosis, and a discussion of its other manifestations, please refer to:
- cystic fibrosis (parent article)
Hepatobiliary manifestations
Liver parenchymal disease
- 40% of CF patients will develop liver disease
- 1-8% progress to portal hypertension
- up to 40% progress to focal cirrhosis and up to 12% progress to multilobular cirrhosis 5, but development of HCC is unusual
- pathophysiology is multifactorial
- fatty infiltration seen in 30% of CF patients at biopsy, 30-50% at imaging and 60% at autopsy 2
Biliary tree
- gallstones: 12-24% of CF patients
- sclerosing cholangitis
- intrahepatic ductal strictures seen in 100% of patients with CF and liver disease and may correspond histologically to focal biliary fibrosis seen in 78% of CF patients >24 years old
- microgallbladder: seen in up to 30% of CF patients at autopsy 3
Pancreatic manifestations
Exocrine gland insuffciency affects 85-90% of all CF patients and results from inspissated secretions leading to proximal duct obstruction with subsequent acinar disruption and replacement by fibrous tissue and fat.
Endocrine dysfunction occurs in 30-50% of CF patients
- fatty replacement: most common manifestation of the pancreas, which can progress to complete pancreatic lipomatosis
- acute pancreatitis: occurs in patients with residual pancreatic exocrine function
- pancreatic calcifications occur in 7% of patients
- pancreatic cysts and cystosis: typically microscopic 3mm diameter
- pancreatic duct strictures
Gastrointestinal manifestations
- gastro-oesophageal reflux and associated complications such as Barrett oesophagus: thought to be secondary to chronic cough, hyperinflation and diaphragmatic depression
- gastric and duodenal ulcerations: likely related to impaired bicarbonate secretion
- distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS)
- intussusception: typically ileocolic and may result from adherent fecal residue or enlarged lymphoid follicles 4; a chronically distended appendix may be the lead point
- despite the common distention of the appendix by inspissated secretions, the reported prevalence of acute appendicitis in CF patients is lower than that in the general population
- colon: often abnormal in patients with CF, with proximal colonic wall thickening, pericolonic fat proliferation and mesenteric fat infiltration
- pneumatosis intestinalis: confined to the colon and typically coincides with the development of obstructive lung disease
- rectal mucosal prolapse: typically in young children in whom CF diagnosis not yet made or young adults that are non compliant with treatment
- gastrointestinal tract malignancies: of which colorectal carcinoma is most common
Renal manifestations
-<a href="/articles/gastro-oesophageal-reflux-disease">gastro-oesophageal reflux</a> and associated complications such as <a title="Barrett oesophagus" href="/articles/barrett-oesophagus">Barrett oesophagus</a>: thought to be secondary to chronic cough, hyperinflation and diaphragmatic depression</li>- +<a href="/articles/gastro-oesophageal-reflux-disease">gastro-oesophageal reflux</a> and associated complications such as <a href="/articles/barrett-oesophagus">Barrett oesophagus</a>: thought to be secondary to chronic cough, hyperinflation and diaphragmatic depression</li>