ROSH Gastrointestinal Practice Exam

A 13-year-old boy with which condition may present with gastrointestinal complications?

1. Asthma

2. Diabetes

3. Sickle cell disease

4. Cystic fibrosis

The correct answer is: Sickle cell disease

The correct answer highlights how sickle cell disease is known to present with gastrointestinal complications due to the underlying pathophysiology of the condition. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder characterized by the production of abnormal hemoglobin, which leads to the sickling of red blood cells. These sickled cells can cause vaso-occlusive crises, leading to reduced blood flow and oxygen delivery to various organs, including the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with sickle cell disease are at risk for various gastrointestinal problems, such as abdominal pain due to splenic sequestration or mesenteric ischemia, resulting from occlusion of the blood vessels supplying the intestines. Additionally, repeated vaso-occlusive events can lead to acute cholecystitis due to gallstone formation from increased hemolysis and resultant hyperbilirubinemia. While asthma, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis are also conditions that may have their own complications, they do not typically lead to gastrointestinal problems in the same direct manner as sickle cell disease. Asthma primarily affects the respiratory system, diabetes has different metabolic implications, and while cystic fibrosis can also lead to gastrointestinal issues, the question specifically points towards the notable gastrointestinal complications linked more traditionally with sickle cell disease.