Gastroenterologic Medicine [antikvár]

Preface It is hoped that Gaslroenterologic Medicine fills the neecl for a single comprehensive volume oovering disorders involving the alimentary canal and its aeeessory organs, the liver, gallbladder and panereas. Certain anatomicophysiologic aspeets necessary for their understanding are included. Since gastroenterology is indivisible from the whole of internál medicine, this book encompasses digestive disturbances having their origins outside of the digestive system. and vice versa. It further includes certain problems connected with surgery of the digestive tract that are important not only to the surgeon but alsó to the internist who may have the responsibiláty of managing somé of the pre- and postoperative phases alone or jointly with the surgeon. Thus, it is no longer possible for one person to prepare an authoritative text of such scope. As a result, workers and teachers with particular interests, skills, and authority, each among the leaders in his field of special activity, nearly all alsó engaged in the managing of or in consultative capacities with gastroenterologic problems that are often associated with other diseases, have collectively presented what is currently known and which, in the main, is of practical bearing. Radiology and psychologic factors are presented in somé detail. Radiology is the most important single objective diagnostic tool in this field. Cineradiography, arteriography, percutaneous portography, and splenoportography are alsó included. The emotions nearly always influence processes as well as therapy. It is hoped that this phase will be of interest to psychiatrists but it has been ofíered here with the nonpsychiatrist in mind. In addition, the place and limi tation of special procedures essential in the diagnosis of gastroenterologic disorders are presented. Certain emergency and acute situations faced at times by many clinicians, e.g., the acute abdomen, digestive tract hemorrhage, perforation and obstruction, jaundice and fulminating ulcerative colitis, have been considered. Parasitic infestation and infection, of increasing importance because of greater ease of travel, ulcerative colitis among the diseases most difíicult to manage, and dermatologic evidences of gastroenterologic disorders are treated extensively. Recent advances and changes in certain concepts are fully covered. Among them: esophageal manometry; physiological and structural alterations in the liver and biliary systems; serum. enzyme activities of the digestive tract including disaccharidase inadequacy, particularly that of lactase; the increasing importance of biopsy and exfoliative cytology; newer knowledge of viruses; the clearer delineation of ulcerative and granulomatous colitis; gastroenterologic disorders at the extremes of life: childhood and old age; abdominal manifestations of vascular disease; changing concepts of dieto therapy; the place of radioisotopic methods of diagnosis; connective tissue disorders in relation to certain digestive disturbances; recent viewpoints concerning small intestinal physiology, malabsorption and Whipple's disease as well as hepatic coma and glass fibergastroscopy and esophagoscopy. As with all multi-authored books covering a limited field, overlapping and repetition have been unavoidable. These are not entirely undesirable. The overlapping and repetition are often for difíerent purposes, either to present separate points of view or to attain clarity and completeness of the specific subject. It has been impossible, despite every effort, for every chapter ( vii)