Small bowel obstruction secondary to phytobezoar in a patient with myotonic dystrophy.

A male patient in his 30s, with myotonic dystrophy (DM), presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and vomiting. CT imaging revealed a soft tissue lesion in the terminal ileum causing small bowel obstruction (SBO). The patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy which allowed identification and removal of the obstructing lesion. This was in the form of an intact, undigested potato, a phytobezoar. Bezoars are collections of undigested material found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, a phytobezoar is composed of plant material and is the most common form of bezoar. DM is a multisystem disorder characterised by skeletal muscle weakness, however it often presents with GI symptoms and the muscles of mastication are often affected. DM is a known risk factor for bezoar formation and should be considered as an important differential in DM patients presenting with SBO.

Telemedicine: an innovative way of managing patients with leg ulcers.

The optimal management of patients with leg ulcers requires a multidisciplinary approach, with contributions from both community and hospital specialists to identify, investigate and treat the underlying causes, provide patient education, assess healing and dress the wounds, monitor outcome and prevent recurrence. However, current practice is impaired by the limited communication between community and hospital specialists. There are inconsistencies in methods of transferring and updating patient records between the hospital and the community, and this can lead to confusion over the diagnosis and appropriate management. Telemedicine, the electronic exchange of medical information at a distance, would appear to offer a way to establish an efficient and effective communication link between hospital and community specialists involved in the care of patients with leg ulcers. The authors of this article believe that modern information technology and the existing NHSnet information infrastructure could be employed to create such a link via electronic patient records.