Name 3 signs/symptoms that meconium ileus and fibrosing colonopathy share. What is the major difference?

• A. Intestinal obstruction; Mass in the right lower quadrant; Abdominal pain; Meconium ileus is not caused by high-dose enzyme therapy
• B. Abdominal distension; Vomiting; Fever; Fibrosing colonopathy is linked to infection
• C. Nausea; Weight loss; Diarrhea; Meconium ileus is caused by autoimmune disease
• D. Jaundice; Hepatomegaly; Clay stools; Meconium ileus is due to obstruction of the bile duct

Answer: (A)

Both conditions manifest as obstruction within the digestive tract in people with cystic fibrosis. The three signs that fit this shared pattern are intestinal obstruction, a palpable mass in the right lower quadrant from dilated bowel with thickened contents, and abdominal pain. In meconium ileus, the RLQ mass is a classic finding due to a dilated ileum filled with inspissated meconium. The major difference lies in what causes the obstruction: fibrosing colonopathy arises from high-dose pancreatic enzyme therapy leading to fibrosis and narrowing of the colon, whereas meconium ileus is a congenital obstruction from thick, sticky meconium in the ileum and is not caused by enzyme therapy.