Pylorus has its most distant etymological antecedent in a Greek word that came to Latin as pylorus. The term allows to name a cleft found in the stomach of the human being and of various animals, which allows the passage of the ingested food to the duodenum.
It is a valve that opens or closes depending on whether or not to allow the passage of a food towards the intestine. In this way, food is prevented from reaching the intestine prematurely, allowing the development of digestion.
Through the digestion, the food becomes the Cud. Alimentary bolus and then, through the action of gastric juices, it is transformed into a substance known as chyme. It is at this stage when the opening of the pylorus occurs, which allows the chyme to enter the intestine and continue advancing the digestive process.
There are various complications that can affect the pylorus. The pyloric stenosis, which can also be called congenital hypertrophy of the pylorus, is an inherited disorder that causes a widening of the pylorus, generating a blocking that prevents the passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine, something that should happen easily in normal situations and healthy organisms.
Regarding the Causes of this disorder, although it is believed that genetic factors may influence to some extent (since people with parents who have suffered from congenital hypertrophy of the pylorus are more likely to suffer from it), its precise origins are unknown.
Usually, congenital hypertrophy of the pylorus appears more often in boys than girls, especially before 6 months of age, at which time it is usually diagnosed. In most patients, the first symptom is vomiting, which:
* it usually takes place after each meal, although it also occurs less frequently;
* usually begins about three weeks after life, although it can appear at any point between one week and five months of age;
* is strong (something known as explosive vomit;
* it often leads to a desire to eat again immediately after it has occurred.
In addition to vomiting, congenital pyloric hypertrophy can present the following symptoms, which usually appear within a few weeks after birth:
* pain in the abdomen;
* flatulence;
* constant feeling of appetite;
* dehydration, a condition that becomes more serious from vomiting;
* inability to lose or gain weight;
* Wave movement in the abdominal area shortly after eating and just before vomiting occurs.
The aforementioned signs of dehydration can be detected through a physical examination, in which the belly swollen. During palpation of the abdominal area, the doctor should notice a mass similar to that of an olive, a clear indication of an abnormal pylorus. Other tests that are usually done in these cases are an abdominal ultrasound, a barium X-ray (to check the narrowing of the pylorus) and a biochemical blood test (which usually reveals an electrolyte imbalance).
To treat congenital hypertrophy of the pylorus, it is necessary to perform a surgical intervention, which usually takes place before the child is six months old.
The operation It is simple: the surgeon must access the baby’s pylorus through a small abdominal incision. Once in contact with the pylorus, cut the layer of the muscle thickened so that the canal dilates and the food can reach the intestine without problems.
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