Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are rare. GISTs comprise 0.2% of gastrointestinal tumours and only 0.04% of small intestinal tumours. Jejunal GISTs are the rarest subtype. Only 10–30% progress to malignancy [Choi (Response evaluation of gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Oncologist 2008;13:4–7)]. We present a 70-year-old male, with multiple co-morbidities, who had extensive investigations over 5 years for vague abdominal pain. All investigations were normal. He presented with symptoms and signs of small bowel obstruction (SBO), confirmed on a computed tomography scan and demonstrated to be secondary to lesion-induced intussusception. The patient had emergency small bowel resection, was discharged after 4 days and remains well. This case report highlights the rarity of jejunal GISTs and, as extensive initial investigation yielded all false-negative results, indicates the difficulty in diagnosing jejunal GISTs. Adhesions are the commonest cause of SBO in patients with previous abdominal surgery, followed by newly diagnosed malignancies [Beardsley et al. (Small bowel obstruction in the virgin abdomen: the need for a mandatory laparotomy explored. Am J Surg 2014;208:243–8)]. Consequently, in patients with a virgin abdomen, underlying tumours should be considered.

Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies. Accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis is based on careful history, physical examination, laboratory and imaging findings. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in improving the accuracy of diagnosis of acute appendicitis and to compare it with the histopathology findings.

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency worldwide. However, it can still present a challenging diagnosis especially in the young, elderly and those individuals of reproductive age, thus encompassing a wide spectrum of varied clinical presentations. Parasitic infections of the appendix are a rare cause of acute appendicitis. However, they must be considered in children presenting with abdominal pain. We report a case of infestation mimicking the features of acute appendicitis in a 10-year-old girl. This case is a cautionary reminder of the importance of considering infestation in children presenting with abdominal pain, but who do not have a significantly raised white cell count or high Alvarado scores. A history of anal pruritus is the most characteristic symptom, but the parasites can cause severe abdominal pain mimicking appendicitis. Prompt recognition and a high clinical index of suspicion are required to prevent an unnecessary appendicectomy. Caution is advised when performing a laparoscopic appendectomy, as in our case, to prevent contamination of the peritoneum. This infestation is easily treatable with mebendazole.

A 37-year-old incarcerated man presented to the accident and emergency department following the deliberate ingestion of eight cylindrical batteries. He also admitted to inserting a razor blade wrapped in cling-film into his rectum; in addition, he sustained a self-inflicted laceration to his left antecubital fossa, using the metal casing from a battery. His medical history included a borderline and emotionally unstable personality disorder. He had ingested several batteries 12 months previously and required an emergency laparotomy to retrieve them. On the present admission, as there was no clinical evidence of small bowel obstruction, he was treated conservatively with serial radiographs. Following conservative management, the batteries failed to progress through the gastrointestinal tract, hence a laparotomy was performed and all the batteries were extricated. This paper discusses the management and associated sequelae of patients presenting following the intentional ingestion of a battery.

SUMMARYA 52-year-old woman presented to the accident and emergency department 5 h after deliberately stabbing herself with two pens through her midline laparotomy scar. Her medical history included an emotionally unstable (borderline) personality disorder and she was currently an inpatient in a psychiatric hospital. She had multiple accident and emergency attendances with previous episodes of self-harm. Clinical examination revealed evidence of trauma to her midline laparotomy scar with congealed blood covering the puncture site. Her abdomen was soft and non-tender on palpation. A chest radiograph revealed no air beneath her diaphragm and her abdominal radiograph identified a radiopacity in her upper right abdomen and dilated loops of small bowel. CT of the abdomen and pelvis confirmed two pens, with the lower pen tip reaching the pancreas. A midline laparotomy was performed and both foreign bodies were extricated unremarkably. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful. The second case involves a 22-year-old woman, a psychiatric hospital resident, presenting to the accident and emergency department 5 h after deliberately inserting the metal nib and inner plastic ink containing tube of a pen through her umbilicus. Her medical history included an emotionally unstable (borderline) personality disorder and paranoid schizophrenia. She had multiple accident and emergency department attendances with previous episodes of self-harm. Clinical examination revealed a soft, non-tender abdomen. Her chest radiograph was unremarkable and her abdominal radiograph identified a radiopaque foreign body at the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. CT of the abdomen and pelvis confirmed a metallic foreign body in the small bowel mesentery. An exploratory laparotomy converted to a midline laparotomy was performed and the foreign body was extricated. The patient's postoperative recovery was uneventful. BACKGROUND