Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease & Diagnosis
Gastrointestinal defects affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. This includes the esophagus that connects mouth with stomach, and stomach to intestines. Food travels through the tract after eating. Barrett's esophagus is a condition where the cells of the esophagus (gullet) grow abnormally. The biliary tract refers to the liver, gall bladder and bile ducts, and how they work together to make, store and secrete bile. Biliary disease often presents with upper abdominal pain. The pain quality is a penetrating aching or tightness, typically severe and located in the epigastrium. Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Appendicitis commonly presents with right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. Rumination syndrome, or Merycism, is a chronic motility disorder characterized by effortless regurgitation of most meals following consumption, due to the involuntary contraction of the muscles around the abdomen. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine.