18th July 2023

A 22-year-old man has had several admissions to hospital with episodes of abdominal pain, retching and intense

A 22-year-old man has had several admissions to hospital with episodes of abdominal pain, retching and intense and overwhelming nausea and vomiting. On three occasions he has been admitted for treatment with intravenous fluids and antiemetics, which helped resolve his symptoms. The episodes last between 1-2 days, and he notices that his symptoms are relieved by taking a hot shower. Between episodes he is generally well. He has a past medical history of childhood asthma and eczema. He also suffers from depression for which he has been taking sertraline for the past 2 years. The only family history of note is that his father had Hodgkin’s lymphoma in his 20s. The patient has smoked 8-10 cigarettes per day for the past 6 years and in the last 3 years has been smoking cannabis on almost a daily basis.

Which feature of the patient’s medical history may help explain the aetiology of his symptoms?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.