Gastroenterology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the journal, see Gastroenterology (journal).
Not to be confused with Gastronomy.
Gastroenterology

Illustration of the stomach, colon and rectum.

System
Gastrointestinal
Significant
diseases

Gastrointestinal cancers,
Gastrointestinal bleeding

Significant
tests

Colonoscopy, Stool test, Barium

swallows, Endoscopy

Specialist

Gastroenterologist

Gastroenterology (MeSH heading)[1] is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive

system and its disorders.
Diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, which include the organs from mouth to
anus, along the alimentary canal, are the focus of this speciality. Physicians practicing in
this field are called gastroenterologists. They have usually completed about eight years
of pre-medical and medical education, a year-long internship (if this is not a part of the
residency), three years of an internal medicine residency, and two to three years in the
gastroenterology fellowship. Some gastroenterology trainees will complete a "fourthyear" (although this is often their seventh year of graduate medical education) in
transplant hepatology, advanced endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, motility or
other topics.
Hepatology, or hepatobiliary medicine, encompasses the study of the liver, pancreas,
and biliary tree, and is traditionally considered a sub-specialty.

Contents

1 History
2 Disease classification
3 Gastroenterological societies
o 3.1 United States
4 Research resources
5 References
6 External links

History

Drawings of Bozzini's "Lichtleiter"

Citing from Egyptian papyri, Nunn identified significant knowledge of gastrointestinal
diseases among practising physicians during the periods of the pharaohs. Irynakhty, of
the tenth dynasty, c. 2125 B.C., was a court physician specialising in gastroenterology,
sleeping, and proctology.[2]
Among ancient Greeks, Hippocrates attributed digestion to concoction. Galen's concept
of the stomach having four faculties was widely accepted up to modernity in the
seventeenth century.
Eighteenth century:

Italian Lazzaro Spallanzani (172999) was among early physicians to disregard

Galen's theories, and in 1780 he gave experimental proof on the action of gastric
juice on foodstuffs.
In 1767, German Johann von Zimmermann wrote an important work on
dysentery.
In 1777, Maximilian Stoll of Vienna described cancer of the gallbladder.[3][4]

Nineteenth century:

In 1805, Philipp Bozzini made the first attempt to observe inside the living human
body using a tube he named Lichtleiter (light-guiding instrument) to examine the

urinary tract, the rectum, and the pharynx. This is the earliest description of
endoscopy.[5][6]
Charles Emile Troisier described enlargement of lymph nodes in abdominal
cancer.[7]
In 1823, William Prout discovered that stomach juices contain hydrochloric acid.
[8]

In 1868, Adolf Kussmaul, a well-known German physician, developed the

gastroscope. He perfected the technique on a sword swallower.
In 1871, at the society of physicians in Vienna, Carl Stoerk demonstrated an
esophagoscope made of two telescopic metal tubes, initially devised by
Waldenburg in 1870.
In 1876, Karl Wilhelm von Kupffer described the properties of some liver cells
now called Kupffer cell.
In 1883, Hugo Kronecker and Samuel James Meltzer studied oesophageal
manometry in humans.

McClendon's pH-probe
Twentieth century:

In 1915, Jesse McClendon tested acidity of human stomach in situ.[9]

In 1921-22, Walter Alvarez did the first electrogastrography research.[10]
Rudolph Schindler described many important diseases involving the human
digestive system during World War I in his illustrated textbook and is portrayed
by some as the "father of gastroscopy". He and Georg Wolf developed a
semiflexible gastroscope in 1932.
In 1932, Burrill Bernard Crohn described Crohn's disease.
In 1957, Basil Hirschowitz introduced the first prototype of a fibreoptic
gastroscope.

Twenty-first century:

In 2005, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren of Australia were awarded the Nobel
Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of Helicobacter pylori
(1982/1983) and its role in peptic ulcer disease. James Leavitt assisted in their

research, but the Nobel Prize is not awarded posthumously so he was not included
in the award.
The word gastroenterology is a combination of three Ancient Greek words:
gaster (gen.: gastros) "stomach", enteron "intestine", and logos "reason".

Disease classification
1. International Classification of Disease (ICD 2007)/WHO classification:

Chapter XI,Diseases of the digestive system,(K00-K93)[2]

2. MeSH subject Heading:

Gastroenterology (G02.403.776.409.405)[3]
Gastroenterological diseases(C06.405)[4]

3. National Library of Medicine Catalogue (NLM classification 2006):

Digestive system(W1)[5]

Gastroenterologist
Occupation
Names
Doctor, Medical Specialist
Occupation type Specialty
Activity sectors Medicine
Description
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Education
Doctor of Osteopathic
required
Medicine (D.O.)

Gastroenterological societies

World Gastroenterology Organisation

British Society of Gastroenterology

United States
In the United States, gastroenterology is an internal medicine subspecialty certified by the
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the American Osteopathic Board of
Internal Medicine (AOBIM).

American College of Gastroenterology

American Gastroenterological Association

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy