Blumer's shelf

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Blumer's shelf, or the rectal shelf, is a finding palpable (felt) in rectal or vaginal examination that indicates that a tumor has metastasized to the pouch of Douglas.

It is usually a site of metastasis of cancers of the lung, pancreas and stomach, [1] due to metastatic tumor cells gravitating from an abdominal cancer and growing in the rectovesical or rectouterine pouch.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorectal cancer</span> Cancer of the colon or rectum

Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum. Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, weight loss, and fatigue. Most colorectal cancers are due to old age and lifestyle factors, with only a small number of cases due to underlying genetic disorders. Risk factors include diet, obesity, smoking, and lack of physical activity. Dietary factors that increase the risk include red meat, processed meat, and alcohol. Another risk factor is inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Some of the inherited genetic disorders that can cause colorectal cancer include familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer; however, these represent less than 5% of cases. It typically starts as a benign tumor, often in the form of a polyp, which over time becomes cancerous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarcoma</span> Medical condition

A sarcoma is a malignant tumor, a type of cancer that arises from transformed cells of mesenchymal origin. Connective tissue is a broad term that includes bone, cartilage, fat, vascular, or hematopoietic tissues, and sarcomas can arise in any of these types of tissues. As a result, there are many subtypes of sarcoma, which are classified based on the specific tissue and type of cell from which the tumor originates. Sarcomas are primary connective tissue tumors, meaning that they arise in connective tissues. This is in contrast to secondary connective tissue tumors, which occur when a cancer from elsewhere in the body spreads to the connective tissue. The word sarcoma is derived from the Greek σάρκωμα sarkōma "fleshy excrescence or substance", itself from σάρξsarx meaning "flesh".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biopsy</span> Medical test involving extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination

A biopsy is a medical test commonly performed by a surgeon, interventional radiologist, or an interventional cardiologist. The process involves extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is then fixed, dehydrated, embedded, sectioned, stained and mounted before it is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist; it may also be analyzed chemically. When an entire lump or suspicious area is removed, the procedure is called an excisional biopsy. An incisional biopsy or core biopsy samples a portion of the abnormal tissue without attempting to remove the entire lesion or tumor. When a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle in such a way that cells are removed without preserving the histological architecture of the tissue cells, the procedure is called a needle aspiration biopsy. Biopsies are most commonly performed for insight into possible cancerous or inflammatory conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pancreatic cancer</span> Endocrine gland cancer located in the pancreas

Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancreatic cancer are known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rectal examination</span> Medical assessment or diagnostic procedure

Digital rectal examination, also known as a prostate exam is an internal examination of the rectum, performed by a healthcare provider. Prior to a 2018 report from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the DRE was a common and "dreaded" component of annual exams for older men, as it was thought to be a reliable screening test for prostate cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colostomy</span> Surgical procedure in which a hole is cut into the colon and stoma is placed

A colostomy is an opening (stoma) in the large intestine (colon), or the surgical procedure that creates one. The opening is formed by drawing the healthy end of the colon through an incision in the anterior abdominal wall and suturing it into place. This opening, often in conjunction with an attached ostomy system, provides an alternative channel for feces to leave the body. Thus if the natural anus is unavailable for that function, an artificial anus takes over. It may be reversible or irreversible, depending on the circumstances.

An abdomino perineal resection, formally known as abdominoperineal resection of the rectum and abdominoperineal excision of the rectum is a surgery for rectal cancer or anal cancer. It is frequently abbreviated as AP resection, APR and APER.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ileostomy</span>

Ileostomy is a stoma constructed by bringing the end or loop of small intestine out onto the surface of the skin, or the surgical procedure which creates this opening. Intestinal waste passes out of the ileostomy and is collected in an external ostomy system which is placed next to the opening. Ileostomies are usually sited above the groin on the right hand side of the abdomen.

In medicine, the ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA), also known as restorative proctocolectomy (RPC), ileal-anal reservoir (IAR), an ileo-anal pouch, ileal-anal pullthrough, or sometimes referred to as a J-pouch, S-pouch, W-pouch, or a pelvic pouch, is an anastomosis of a reservoir pouch made from ileum to the anus, bypassing the former site of the colon in cases where the colon and rectum have been removed. The pouch retains and restores functionality of the anus, with stools passed under voluntary control of the person, preventing fecal incontinence and serving as an alternative to a total proctocolectomy with ileostomy.

Pouchitis is an umbrella term for inflammation of the ileal pouch, an artificial rectum surgically created out of ileum in patients who have undergone a proctocolectomy or total colectomy. The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is created in the management of patients with ulcerative colitis, indeterminate colitis, familial adenomatous polyposis, cancer, or rarely, other colitides.

Prostate cancer staging is the process by which physicians categorize the risk of cancer having spread beyond the prostate, or equivalently, the probability of being cured with local therapies such as surgery or radiation. Once patients are placed in prognostic categories, this information can contribute to the selection of an optimal approach to treatment. Prostate cancer stage can be assessed by either clinical or pathological staging methods. Clinical staging usually occurs before the first treatment and tumour presence is determined through imaging and rectal examination, while pathological staging is done after treatment once a biopsy is performed or the prostate is removed by looking at the cell types within the sample.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaginectomy</span> Surgical removal of the vagina

Vaginectomy is a surgery to remove all or part of the vagina. It is one form of treatment for individuals with vaginal cancer or rectal cancer that is used to remove tissue with cancerous cells. It can also be used in gender affirmation surgery. Some people born with a vagina who identify as trans men or as nonbinary may choose vaginectomy in conjunction with other surgeries to make the clitoris more penis-like (metoidioplasty), construct of a full-size penis (phalloplasty), or create a relatively smooth, featureless genital area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anal sac adenocarcinoma</span>

An anal sac adenocarcinoma is an uncommon and aggressive malignant tumor found in dogs that arises from the apocrine glandular tissue of anal sac. The disease exists in cats as well, but is much less common in that species. They are the second most common cancerous cause of hypercalcaemia in dogs, following T-cell lymphoma.

Total mesorectal excision (TME) is a standard surgical technique for treatment of rectal cancer, first described in 1982 by Professor Bill Heald at the UK's Basingstoke District Hospital. It is a precise dissection of the mesorectal envelope comprising rectum containing the tumour together with all the surrounding fatty tissue and the sheet of tissue that contains lymph nodes and blood vessels. Dissection is along the avascular alveolar plane between the presacral and mesorectal fascia, described as holy plane. Dissection along this plane facilitates a straightforward dissection and preserves the sacral vessels and hypogastric nerves and is a sphincter-sparing resection and decreases permanent stoma rates. It is possible to rejoin the two ends of the colon; however, most patients require a temporary ileostomy pouch to bypass the colon, allowing it to heal with less risk of infection, perforation or leakage.

Indium (111In) satumomab pendetide is a mouse monoclonal antibody which is used for cancer diagnosis. The antibody, satumomab, is linked to pendetide, a derivative of DTPA. Pendetide acts as a chelating agent for the radionuclide indium-111.

A pelvic tumor is any one of numerous tumors that occur in the pelvis. Within the pelvis, these tumors may involve specific organs, or occupy intra-organ spaces. Tumors of the presacral space and sacral space are most prevalent in children. Tumors occupying specific organs have a more complex natural history.

Ovarian diseases refer to diseases or disorders of the ovary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PCA3</span> Non-coding RNA in the species Homo sapiens

Prostate cancer antigen 3 is a gene that expresses a non-coding RNA. PCA3 is only expressed in human prostate tissue, and the gene is highly overexpressed in prostate cancer. Because of its restricted expression profile, the PCA3 RNA is useful as a tumor marker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorectal adenoma</span> Medical condition

The colorectal adenoma is a benign glandular tumor of the colon and the rectum. It is a precursor lesion of the colorectal adenocarcinoma. They often manifest as colorectal polyps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuffitis</span> Medical condition

Cuffitis is inflammation at the anal transition zone or "cuff" created as a result of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). It is considered a variant form of ulcerative colitis that occurs in the rectal cuff. Cuffitis is a common complication of IPAA, particularly when a stapled anastomosis without mucosectomy procedure has been used.

References

  1. Layke, JC; Lopez, PP (1 March 2004). "Gastric cancer: diagnosis and treatment options". American Family Physician. 69 (5): 1133–40. PMID   15023013.

Bibliography