A Foley catheter 'the jack of all trades': a literature review of its common and novel uses

The Foley catheter is one of the most commonly used devices in modern surgical practice. Developed for draining the urinary bladder, this humble catheter has been employed for many other purposes ranging from urine output monitoring to complex urological investigations. Over time, it has evolved into being applied in more complex and innovative ways in various other specialties apart from urology. In this review article, we describe some of the common and novel uses of this deceptively simple device, and discuss the scope of its application in modern medicine.

333 A Rare Case of Skeletal Muscle Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer

Introduction

Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers. Metastasis is seen in the liver, lung, peritonium and bone. Though skeletal muscles make up a majority of our body mass, they are an extremely rare site for metastasis

A 74 y/male known to have total ulcerative colitis was put on the 2WW due to change in bowel habits, weight loss and anemia. Investigations revealed a large cavitating lesion in the right colon with no evidence of metastasis. He underwent an open total pan procto-colectomy, small bowel resection and end ileostomy

Histopathology showed the tumour was a completely excised adenocarcinoma

During surveillance it was noted his CEA levels were high, for which he had a host of investigations including a CT scan and a PET scan, all of which had no interval changes.

He mentioned that he noticed a lump in his left thigh. Orthopedicians advised an MRI scan which showed a tissue lump covering the front of the thigh, within the vastus medialis.

A biopsy revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma.

He also had left wrist pain. A thorough examination revealed a hard mass within the swelling. Ultrasound confirmed a solid well circumscribed mass with vascularity.

Given the above information the patient felt he would be like to complete the remaining of his life with dignity and comfort at home and was fast-track discharged.

Discussion

Skeletal muscle metastasis of colorectal cancers is always associated with a prognosis that is somber and terminal. A high degree of suspicion is needed for diagnosis.

The initial Trinidad experience with Cine MRI in clinical cardiology

We describe the initial Trinidad experience with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Cine MRI as a diagnostic tool in clinical cardiology. Six patients from the following categories were referred for Cine MRI evaluation: congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, aortic diseases, cardiomyopathy and intracardiac mass. All patients underwent echocardiography. MRI and Cine MRI were performed on all patients using a Siemens Magnetom 1.0 Tesla MR system at MRI Trinidad and Tobago Ltd. Selected patients underwent Angiography and/or computed tomography (CT) scanning. Clinical data and images of the six patients evaluated are described. MRI and Cine MRI provided excellent anatomical and functional details of the heart and aorta in five patients with dissection of the aorta, aneurysm of the ascending aorta, suspected left ventricular apical thrombus, infiltrative cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. Technical difficulty was experienced with one patient who had a congenital defect (common atrium). In this study, Cine MRI provided excellent images in all but one patient. This new noninvasive technique enhanced diagnostic capabilities and facilitated management in patients with certain cardiovascular diseases.