Cottonwool babies. A case history

Although the adage 'common things occur commonly' is certainly true, especially in a general practice situation, there are occasions when rare or uncommon problems present themselves. In these situations the learning curve of the patient and doctor may be parallel but there is still a lot the family doctor can do to ease the suffering of the family and help in the adjustment phase. Epidermolysis bullosa can be a cruel, disfiguring and at times lethal disease, however, as Michael's case illustrates, patients deserve assessment on their own merits and with the right support and care 'cottonwool' babies can lead full and purposeful lives.