Introduction
A gastrointestinal disease is a form of infection that affects the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), which is composed of the stomach, the liver, gallbladder, rectum, intestines, and the esophagus, among others (Widmaier, Raff & Strang, 2011). The diseases negatively impact millions of people across the world on an annual basis. Symptoms may vary from mild to debilitating, depending on the disorder involved and the status of the immune system of an individual (Widmaier et al., 2011). They can be grouped into categories, i.e., structural disorders and functional disorders (McCance & Huether, 2013).
In most cases, the components of the GIT perform complementary functions, implying that when one component is affected, then the others also are negatively impacted. Therefore, it is important for nurses and other healthcare professionals to understand the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of various GIT infections, so that they can offer the best therapies (McCance & Huether, 2013). This paper focuses on highlighting some of the dermatological manifestations of gastrointestinal diseases. In addition, I a chart format, it highlights ten GIT diseases, their pathophysiology, and clinical signs.
Some dermatological signs of GIT diseases
A significant number of GIT disorders is associated with dermatological symptoms. Good knowledge of the relationship between the GIT and cutaneous symptoms is critical in alerting a clinician to diagnose a disorder within the GI tract. The following are some of the cutaneous symptoms that result from GI tract diseases (McCance & Huether, 2013):
- Periorificial granulomas
- Acral rash
- Koilonychia
- Skin tumors
- Mucosal hyperplasia
- Vesicles/blisters/erosions
- Plaques
- Vascular malformation
- Palpable purpura
- Lichenoid papules
- Ulcers with undermined borders
Ten GIT disorders, their pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations
Figure 1. A chart showing ten GIT diseases, their pathophysiology, and clinical symptoms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper has demonstrated that GIT disorders result in some clinical manifestations that are evident on the skin of patients. It appears that most of the GI tract diseases are caused by alteration of genes in the body. Nurses and other healthcare professionals can offer the best therapies if they can understand the correlation between a GIT disease and cutaneous symptoms. This can go a long way in improving health outcomes of patients.
References
McCance, K. L., & Huether, S. E. (Eds.). (2013). Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Widmaier, E. P., Raff, H., & Strang, K. T. (2011). Vander’s human physiology: the mechanisms of body function. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.