Epidemiological Pattern of Breast Diseases among Females in the South-Western Region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Breast diseases cover several conditions. The majority of breast diseases are noncancerous. Some of these lesions are clinically unremarkable, which needed minimal intervention. However, some symptoms may be of clinical value and attract the attention of both the patient and the attending physician, especially when they become persistent. The study aimed to assess the prevalence, pattern, types, and clinical profile of breast diseases among females in the South-western region, during the period from 2018-2020. Methods: A retrospective record-based descriptive approach was used through reviewing medical records of all cases with breast disease attended King Khalid Hospital during the period from January 2018 to January 2020. Data extracted throng pre-structured questionnaire. Results: The study included 211 cases whose ages ranged from 18 to 58 years old with a mean age of 28.9 ± 12.8 years. Breast mass was the most recorded complaint (95.1%) followed with breast pain (32%), skin changes. Benign findings based on the final pathology report were recorded for more than two thirds of the cases, with the most common finding were fibroadenoma. Excisional biopsy and modified radical mastectomy were the most reported surgical interventions. Conclusions: In conclusion, the study revealed that the majority of the cases had benign breast disease (BBD), where fibroadenoma was the most frequent.

Epidemiological Aspects of Female Urological Diseases, at the National University Teaching Hospital H. K. Maga of Cotonou from 2008 to 2017

Most urological conditions are represented by male disorders. Analyzing certain epidemiological aspects of female urological disorders at the National University Teaching Hospital of Cotnou, will allow us objectively to have reliable data to optimize the urological management of women. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective, analytical and descriptive study that was conducted at the CNHU-HKM over a 10-year period from January 2008 to December 2017 on the epidemiological aspects of female urological diseases from the study of patient records. The variable studied was: the age, the profession, the year of admission, the organ affected, and the type of pathology. The confidentiality of the data has been ensured. Results: Female urological disorders over 10 years accounted for 9.62% of all patients received in Urology Department. The age group greater than 50 years was the most common at 31.34%. Traders and housewives were the most numerous (39.93% and 14.55%). Bladder diseases were the most frequent (51.50), dominated by vesico-vaginal fistulas (29.85%). In addition to fistulas, tumoral affections were most prevalent at 27.99% followed by infectious diseases at 8.21%. The lithiasic affections were infrequent at 6.72%. Conclusion: Female urological conditions are infrequent but not negligible, dominated by vesico-vaginal fistulas and tumors in the context of developing countries. The specific evaluation of each pathology group can help optimize management.

Electric Acupuncture in the Treatment of 36 Cases of Female Urethral Syndrome

Since 1999, the authors have used electricacupuncture to treat 36 cases of female urethralsyndrome with good therapeutic effects as comparedto that of the routine treatment. The following is areport of it.

STUDY ON ACUPUNCTURE AND MOXIBUSTION THERAPY FOR FEMALE URETHRAL SYNDROME

Among 180 patients with female urethral syndrome, 128 were treated by acupuncture and moxibustion and 52 by western medicine as controls. The short-term effective rate in the acupuncture and moxibustion group was 90.6% and the long-term effective rate, 80.4%; whereas the short-term effective rate of the control group was 26.9% (P 0.05). Sixty-nine cases from the acupuncture and moxibustion group and 39 from the control group were subjected before and after treatment to determinations of the maximal bladder pressure, maximal abdominal pressure, bladder-neck pressure, and maximal urethral closure pressure during urination. All these indexes were decreased remarkably in the acupuncture and moxibustion group, while no changes were observed in the control group.

Better renal replacement therapy to improve sexual function in female patients with end-stage renal disease:A cross-sectional study

Background Sexual dysfunction is commonly observed in patients with end-stage renal disease(ESRD).Sexual dysfunction in correlation with ESRD is associated with physiological and psychological problems resulting in low sexual desire,arousal,difficulties in achieving orgasm,and pain during intercourse.Studies on female sexual dysfunction(FSD)in correlation with renal replacement therapy are limited,and previous studies reporting contradictive results have indicated that the best modality for providing better outcomes(especially on FSD)remains unclear.Thus,this study aimed to compare the sexual function between female patients with ESRD who were on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD)and those on hemodialysis(HD).Materials and methods This study enrolled female patients who were randomly selected from the urology and renal division of the Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic of our hospital from January 2020 to August 2021 and divided into the following groups:predialysis,HD,CAPD,and control groups.The participants were asked to fill out the Female Sexual Function Index(FSFI)questionnaires,and their data were recorded and analyzed using GraphPad Prism 9.0.0.Results Of the 280 patients,200 female patients were included in this study.The rate of FSD(cutoff:26.55)was 42%in the control group,72%in the predialysis group,62%in the CAPD group,and 66%the in HD group.The control group had a higher mean score in all parameters(p<0.05).The total FSFI mean score indicated no significant difference(p>0.05)between the patients on HD and those on CAPD;the mean of each point was almost identical except for satisfaction,which was higher among patients on CAPD(p<0.05).Significant differences in the components of desire,arousal,orgasm,and satisfaction were observed between the groups.Conclusions Patients on CAPD had better FSFI scores than the female patients with ESRD who were on HD,and the scores of both groups of patients were better than those of the predialysis group.

Prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and psychological distress among female scientists and technicians

This study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular disease(CVD)and psychological distress among female scientists and technicians in China.Accordingly,we included scientists and technicians from representative research institutions,medical institutions,colleges,universities,and businesses in China,and the data were collected from July 1,2019 to March 31,2021 via online questionnaires.The parameters evaluated in this study included age,sex,marital status,educational background,monthly income,sleep hours,sleep problems,smoking,alcohol consumption,work-related stress,work burnout,cardiovascular symptoms,CVD,family history,and depressive and anxiety symptoms.A total of 14530 scientists and technicians were included,comprising 7144 men and 7386 women.We found 34.9%men and 16.6%women with CVD,35.1%men and 21.4%women with depressive symptoms,28.7%men and 13.8%women with anxiety symptoms,and 22.0%men and9.5%women with CVD combined with depressive or anxiety symptoms.This study focused on the details of women.Younger women(age≤35 years)had the highest prevalence of depressive symptoms(24.9%),anxiety symptoms(16.2%),and comorbidity(11.2%).It was established that,despite traditional risk factors,unmanageable work burnout,depressive symptoms,and anxiety symptoms were associated with a higher risk of CVD in women;insomnia,overwhelming work stress,unmanageable work burnout,and CVD were linked to a higher risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety;insomnia,overwhelming work stress,and unmanageable work burnout were related to CVD combined with depressive or anxiety symptoms.A bidirectional relationship was noted between CVD and depression or anxiety in female scientists and technicians,and insomnia and overwhelming work stress were positively associated with comorbidity.It is suggested that effective measures should be taken to protect female scientists and technicians from CVD and psychological distress.

Female Head, Food Stamps, Ethnicity and Air Pollution: Confounders or Causes of Heart Disease in Texas

One in every four deaths in the United States is attributed to heart disease. While the ethnic variations have not been momentous, the socioeconomic disparities of heart disease incidence need to be further investigated. Moreover, exposure to air pollutants has been documented to cause heart disease. This secondary-data study investigates the effects of air pollutants as well as socioeconomic factors on hospitalization rate of heart disease in Texas. The rates for the five sub-diagnoses of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, hypertension and heart disease were linked to ozone, fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and socioeconomic status factors at the county level. These were college education attainment, households with female heads, percentage of users of food stamps, ethnicities, living near a park and living in houses with severe housing problems. Spatial lag modelling was conducted to estimate the statistical significance of the independent variables on the five sub-diagnoses of heart disease. Fine particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and being African American were significant to all the outcomes. Living in a household with female head was significant to stroke and hypertension. Using food stamps was significant to cardiovascular disease, heart attack and heart disease. Fine particulate matter and sulphur dioxide increase the risk of heart disease by a factor of three to twenty two times, respectively. Whereas low socioeconomic status increases the risk of heart disease by a factor of up to four times. The results of the effect of particulate air and sulphur dioxide pollution among people in low social class especially African Americans. The vicious cycle of heart disease and low socioeconomic status call for societal and policy makers’ attention through methodical interventions to address the two significant issues of industrial facilities site allocation and stationary emission resources.

Sexual Behavior and Awareness of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Street-Based Female Sex Workers in the Florence Area, Central Italy

Objective:Street-based female sex workers are more likely to practice unprotected sex with multiple partners increases their risk of infection with sexually transmitted diseases.This study was performed to evaluate the understanding of and risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases among street-based female sex workers.Methods:A survey consisted of a sociodemographic section and a health section was conducted from June to August in two consecutive years(2012-2013)using an anonymous questionnaire compiled by street-based female sex workers in the area of Florence(Central Italy).A descriptive analysis of sociodemographic,epidemiological,and anamnestic variables was performed using common methods for proportions;associations between variables were assessed using univariate and bivariate logistic regression.Results:Totally 122 street-based female sex workers(mean age,24.1 years;age range,17-45 years)were enrolled,and were from Europe(63.1%)(mainly from Romania[48.4%]and Albania[13.1%]),Africa(31.2%)(specifically Nigeria),and South America(5.7%).Of the 122 street-based female sex workers,63%were married/engaged and 37%were single.More than half had been living in Italy and Florence for more than 1 year;72.8%stated that they possessed a residence permit and the others were illegal migrants.Eighteen(15%)street-based female sex workers also worked in the industry in neighboring European countries.Their level of education was generally high:58.1%had completed secondary school(lower secondary school and upper secondary school).A total of 81.4%stated that they perceived an actual fear of contracting human immunodeficiency virus;in fact,43.3%had never been tested for any sexually transmitted diseases except for human immunodeficiency virus.Conclusion:Despite the long-time involvement of street-based female sex workers in the commercial sex industry,the large numbers of clients and a strong perception of concerns about sexually transmitted diseases.This study confirms a low rate of condom use and blood screening,and corresponding science education and health screening efforts need to be strengthened in this high risk population.

Correlation between soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products levels and coronary artery disease in postmenopausal nondiabetic women

BACKGROUND The established cardiovascular risk factors cannot explain the overall risk of coronary artery disease(CAD),especially in women.Therefore,there is a growing need for the assessment of novel biomarkers to identify women at risk.The receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)and its interaction with the advanced glycation end product(AGE)ligand have been associated with atherogenesis.The soluble fraction of RAGE(sRAGE)antagonizes RAGE signaling and exerts an antiatherogenic effect.AIM The study aim was to explore the association between plasma levels of sRAGE and CAD in nondiabetic postmenopausal women.METHODS This case-control study included 110 nondiabetic postmenopausal women who were enrolled in two groups.Group I included 55 angiographically proven CAD subjects with>50%stenosis in at least one of the major coronary arteries and Group II included 55 healthy control women who did not have CAD or had<50%stenosis of the coronary arteries.Stenosis was confirmed by invasive angiography.Plasma sRAGE was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS We observed significantly lower plasma sRAGE concentrations in subjects with CAD vs healthy controls(P<0.05).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis also revealed a significant correlation between plasma sRAGE levels and CAD(P=0.01).Multivariate odds ratios for CAD revealed that subjects with sRAGE concentrations below 225 pg/mL(lowest quartile)had a 6-fold increase in CAD prevalence independent of other risk factors.CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that low sRAGE levels were independently associated with CAD in nondiabetic postmenopausal women.Risk assessment of CAD in postmenopausal women can be improved by including sRAGE along with other risk factors.

Extramammary Paget’s Disease Manifested by Intraepithelial Adenocarcinoma of the Vulva and Anus Combined with Invasive Adenocarcinoma of the Ampullary Part of the Rectum

The Object of the Study: The author of the given paper describes an unusual combination of two diseases: extramammary Paget’s disease manifested by intraepithelial adenocarcinoma of the vulva and anus combined with invasive adenocarcinoma of the ampullary part of the rectum and describes the atypical manifestations of these diseases. The Content: The content of this research paper includes a description of the patient, an analysis of the clinical picture, diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions used, a report of the following disease, and the result of the presented case. The Result of the Research Work: The result of the research work is the analysis of a clinical case with two different tumors, where such a combination of tumors is rarely described in the literature. Moreover, no large specific sample with this combination of diseases is available. Patient Characteristics: The given case report describes a patient of the Palliative Care Unit of the Gerontology Clinic with a primary diagnosis of C20-rectal adenocarcinoma in the background of the anal canal, perineal skin Paget’s disease, stage IV. The presented complications of the patient’s primary diagnosis are multiple metastases in the liver;status post palliative chemotherapy;hepatomegaly;metastases to abdominal lymph nodes, inguinal lymph nodes;metastases at Th12, L4 level;pain syndrome. The presented above combination of diagnosed diseases is very rare. Applied Diagnostics: In October 2021, it was performed diagnostic manipulation: biopsy and the pathologist have provided a microscopic description. The first tissue fragment had a pronounced electrothermal lesion and the epithelial structures were not valuable. The second skin tissue fragment was covered with hyperplastic and acanthotic epithelium;its basal and middle layers contained multiple large cells proliferates extending into the medial epidermis, and the cytoplasm of these cells reacted positively with PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff reaction). It needs to be noted that the patient had previously had several years of biopsies from the perineal and anal epidermis, where Paget’s disease had also been diagnosed. The performed immunohistochemistry showed these cells to be CK20 positive, CK7 rare positive and p16 negative. The following pathohistological findings were made: morphological and immunohistochemical picture is consistent with Paget’s disease. According to the ICD-10, the patient was diagnosed with C51 malignant neoplasm of the female external genitalia. Using imaging diagnostics, it became clear that the patient’s rectal adenocarcinoma had progressed to metastatic stage with distant liver metastases in the background of anal canal, perineal skin Paget’s disease. Therapeutic Plan of the Patient: Based on the patient’s main diagnoses, the complications of the principal diagnosis, the patient’s overall severe condition, pain syndrome, age and comorbidities, palliative chemotherapy was approved as a therapeutic option in council of doctors. Monitoring and Outcome of the Patient: The patient’s general condition was becoming worse over time, and she was diagnosed with exitus latalis in December 2022. At that time, the patient was discharged from hospital and was on palliative care at home under the control of her family physician.

Association of extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease in a province of western Hungary with disease phenotype:Results of a 25-year follow-up study

AIM:IBD is a systemic disease associated with a large number of extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs).Our aim was to determine the prevalence of EIMs in a large IBD cohort in Veszprem Province in a 25-year follow-up study. METHODS:Eight hundred and seventy-three IBD patients were enrolled (ulcerative colitis/UC/:619,m/f:317/302, mean age at presentation:38.3 years,average disease duration:11.2 years;Crohn's disease/CD/:254,m/f:125/129, mean age at presentation:32.5 years,average disease duration:9.2 years).Intestinal,extraintestinal signs and laboratory tests were monitored regularly.Any alteration suggesting an EIMs was investigated by a specialist. RESULTS:A total of 21.3% of patients with IBD had EIM (UC:15.0%,CD:36.6%).Age at presentation did not affect the likelihood of EIM.Prevalence of EIMs was higher in women and in CD,ocular complications and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were more frequent in UC.In UC there was an increased tendency of EIM in patients with a more extensive disease.Joint complications were more frequent in CD (22.4% vsUC 10.2%,P<0.01).In UC positive family history increased the risk of joint complications (OR:3.63).In CD the frequency of type-1 peripheral arthritis was increased in patients with penetrating disease (P=0.028).PSC was present in 1.6% in UC and 0.8% in CD.Dermatological complications were present in 3.8% in UC and 10.2% in CD,the rate of ocular complications was around 3% in both diseases.Rare complications were glomerulonephritis,autoimmune hemolytic anaemia and celiac disease. CONCLUSION:Prevalence of EIM in Hungarian IBD patients is in concordance with data from Western countries.The high number of EIM supports a role for complex follow-up in these patients.

Striking elevation in incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in a province of western Hungary between 1977-2001

AIM:An investigation into inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer in Veszprem Province was conducted from 1977 to 2001.METHODS: Both hospital and outpatient records were collected and reviewed comprehensively. The majority of patients were followed up regularly.RESULTS:The population of the province was decreased from 386000 to 376000 during the period. Five hundred sixty new cases of ulcerative colitis (UC), 212 of Crohn's disease (CD), and 40 of indeterminate colitis (IC) were diagnosed. The incidence rates increased from 1.66 to 11.01 cases per 100 000 persons for UC, from 0.41 to 4.68 for CD and from 0.26 to 0.74 for IC. The prevalence rate at the end of 2001 was 142.6 for UC and 52.9 cases per 100 000 persons for CD. The peak onset age in UC patients was between 30 and 40 years, in CD between 20 and 30 years. A family history of IBD was present in 3.4% in UC and 9.9% in CD patients.Smoking increased the risk for CD (OR=1.94) while it decreased the risk for UC (OR=0.25). Twelve colorectal carcinomas were observed in this cohort, the cumulative colorectal cancer risk after 10 years in UC was 2%, after 20 years 8.8%, after 30 years 13.3%.CONCLUSION:The incidence and prevalence rates of IBD have increased steadily in Veszprem Province, now equivalent to that in Western European countries. Rapid increase in incidence rates supports a probable role for environmental factors. The rate of colorectal cancers in IBD is similar to that observed in Western countries.

Effects of Shenmai Injection on Blood SOD Activity and MDA Level in Senile Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

In order to approach the effects of Shenmai Injection on SOD activity and MDA level in the senile patients with coronary heart disease, 48 cases, who had stenosis of over 70% in more than one branches of the coronary arteries, were assigned randomly into a treatment group (given Shenmai Injection plus the routine treatment) and a control group (given the routine treatment only). The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were determined before treatment and at the end of a 3-week treatment. The results showed that in the treatment group, the SOD activity was significantly increased (P＜0.05) and the MDA level markedly decreased (P＜0.01) in the treatment group. It can be concluded that Shenmai Injection may enhance the antioxidant ability of the senile patients with coronary heart disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease in Estonia:a prospective epidemiologic study 1993-1998a

INTRODUCTIONThe incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn,s disease (CD)in Estonia 1993-1998 was investigated prospectively .The mean annual incidence of UC was 1.7 per 100 000,and that of CD1.4 per 100 000.This population-based study showed much lower incidence of UC and CD than those reported for western and northern Europe .

Coronary artery disease in women:From the yentl syndrome to contemporary treatment

In recent years attention has been raised to the fact of increased morbidity and mortality between women who suffer from coronary disease. The identification of the so called Yentl Syndrome has emerged the deeper investigation of the true incidence of coronary disease in women and its outcomes. In this review an effort has been undertaken to understand the interaction of coronary disease and female gender after the implementation of newer therapeutic interventional and pharmaceutics' approaches of the modern era.

Chronic liver disease questionnaire:Translation and validation in Thais

AIM:Quality of life (QOL) is a concept that incorporates many aspects of life beyond“health”.The chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) was developed to evaluate the impact of chronic liver diseases (CLD) on QOL.The objectives of this study were to translate and validate a liver specific questionnaire,the CLDQ. METHODS:The CLDQ was formally translated from the original version to Thai language with permission.The translation process included forward translation,back translation,cross-cultural adaptation and a pretest.Reliability and validity of the translated version was examined in CLD patients.Enrolled subjects included CLD and normal subjects with age- and sex-matched.Collected data were demography, physical findings and biochemical tests.All subjects were asked to complete the translated versions of CLDQ and SF- 36,which was previously validated.Cronbach's alpha and test-retest were performed for reliability analysis.One-way Anova or non-parametric method was used to determine discriminant validity.Speerman's rank correlation was used to assess convergent validity.P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS:A total of 200 subjects were recruited into the study,with 150 CLD and 50 normal subjects.Mean ages (SD) were 47.3(11.7) and 49.1(8.5) years,respectively.The number of chronic hepatitis:cirrhosis was 76:74,and the ratio of cirrhotic patients classified as Child A:B:C was 37 (50%):26(35%):11(15%).Cronbach's alpha of the overall CLDQ scores was 0.96 and of all domains were higher than 0.93.Item-total correlation was>0.45.Test-retest reliability done at 1 to 4 wk apart was 0.88 for the average CLDQ score and from 0.68 to 0.90 for domain scores.The CLDQ was found to have discriminant validity.The highest scores of CLDQ domains were in the normal group,scores were lower in the compensated group and lowest in the decompensated group.The significant correlation between domains of the CLDQ and SF-36 was found.The average CLDQ score was strongly correlated with the general health domain of SF-36.(P=0.69:P=0.01). CONCLUSION:The translated CLDQ is valid and applicable in Thais with CLD.CLDQ reveals that QOL in these patients is lower than that in normal population.QOL is more impaired in advanced stage of CLD.

Effect of Acupuncture on the Auditory Evoked Brain Stem Potential in Parkinson's Disease

Under the auditory evoked brain stem potential (ABP) examination, the latent period of V wave and the intermittent periods of III-V peak and I-V peak were significantly shortened in Parkinson's disease patients of the treatment group (N=29) after acupuncture treatment. The difference of cumulative scores in Webster's scale was also decreased in correlation analysis. The increase of dopamine in the brain and the excitability of the dopamine neurons may contribute to the therapeutic effects, in TCM terms, of subduing the pathogenic wind and tranquilizing the mind.……

Prevalence and risk factors of dry eye disease in young and middle-aged office employee:a Xi’an Study

AIM:To estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for dry eye disease(DED)in young and middle-aged office employee in Xi’an.METHODS:This cross-sectional study of the prevalence of and risk factors for DED investigated 486 young and middle-aged Chinese office employee in Xi’an.DED symptoms and potential risk factors were assessed using the ocular surface disease index combined with a risk factors questionnaire,and tear function was evaluated using the tear film break-up time and Schirmer’s test.Possible risk factors for DED were estimated by binary Logistic regression analysis.RESULTS:DED was diagnosed in 100 females and 96 males,giving a prevalence of 40.3%[95%confidence interval(CI)=36.0%-44.7%].The multivariate binary Logistic regression model indicated that the possible risk factors for DED were being female(OR=1.592,95%CI=1.034-2.451,P=0.035),being aged≥40 y(OR=1.593,95%CI=1.034-2.454,P=0.035),using a VDT daily for>6 h(OR=1.990,95%CI=1.334-2.971,P=0.001),the presence of central air conditioning(OR=1.548,95%CI=1.053-2.276,P=0.026),and self-reported dryness of the mouth and nose(OR=1.589,95%CI=1.071-2.357,P=0.021).CONCLUSION:There is a high prevalence of clinically diagnosed DED in young and middle-aged video displayterminal(VDT)users.Interventions against the modifiable risk factors should be taken to prevent the occurrence and development of DED in this population.

Epidemiology and outcome of Crohn's disease in a teaching hospital in Riyadh

AIM: To know the epidemiology and outcome of Crohn's disease at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and to compare the results from other world institutions.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients seen for 20 years (between 1983 and 2002). Individual case records were reviewed with regard to history, clinical, findings from colonoscopy, biopsies, small bowel enema, computerized tomography scan, treatment and outcome.RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients with Crohn's disease were revisited, 13% presented the disease in the first 10 years and 87% over the last 10 years. Thirty-three patients (42.9%) were males and 44 (57.1%) were females. Age ranged from 11-70 years (mean of 25.3+11.3 years). Ninety-two (92%) were Saudi. The mean duration of symptoms was 26+34.7 mo. The mean annual incidence of the disease over the first 10 years was 0.32:100 000 and 1.66:100 000 over the last 10 years with a total mean annual incidence of 0.94:100 000 over the last 20 years. The chief clinical features included abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss,anorexia, rectal bleeding and palpable mass. Colonoscopic findings were abnormal in 58 patients (76%) showing mostly ulcerations and inflammation of the colon. Eighty nine percent of patients showed nonspecific inflammation with chronic inflammatory cells and half of these patients revealed the presence of granulomas and granulations on bowel biopsies. Similarly, 69 (89%) of small bowel enema results revealed ulcerations (49%), narrowing of the bowel lumen (42%), mucosal thickening (35%) and cobblestone appearance (35%). CT scan showed abnormality in 68 (88%) of patients with features of thickened loops (66%) and lymphadenopathy (37%). Seventy-eight percent of patients had small and large bowel disease, 16% had small bowel involvement and only 6% had colitis alone. Of the total 55 (71%) patients treated with steroids at some point in their disease history, a satisfactory response to therapy was seen in 28 patients (51%) while 27 (49%) showed recurrences of the condition with mild to moderate symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea most of which were due to poor compliance to medication. Seven patients (33%) remained with active Crohn's disease. Nine (12%) patients underwent surgery with resections of some parts of bowel, 2 (2.5%) had steroid side effects, 6 (8%) with perianal Crohn's disease and five (6.5%) with fistulae.CONCLUSION: The epidemiological characteristics of Crohn's disease among Saudi patients are comparable to those reported from other parts of the world. However the incidence of Crohn's disease in our hospital increased over the last 10 years. The anatomic distribution of the disease is different from other world institutions with less isolated colonic affection.

Crohn's disease in adults: Observations in a multiracial Asian population

AIM： To determine the demography and clinical presentation of CD and secondly to determine any differences in the prevalence between the different ethnic groups in a multiracial Asian population. METHODS： Patients with CD who were seen in 2001- 2003 in the University of Malaya Medical Centre （UMMC） were enrolled in this study. Prevalence of disease was calculated for the group as a whole and by race with hospital admissions per ethnic group as the denominator. RESULTS： Thirty-four patients were diagnosed to have CD. Basic demographic data of patients; male：female 17：17; mean age 29.1 years （±13.5 years）; ethnic group： Malays 5 （14.7%）, Chinese 12 （35.3%） and Indians 17 （50%）. Twenty-six （76.5%） were diagnosed under the age of 40 and 8 （23.5%） were diagnosed over the age of 40. Location of the disease was as follows： ileocolonic 13 （38.2%）, terminal ileum only 9 （26.5%）, colon only 8 （23.5%）, and upper gastrointestinal 4 （11.8%）. Sixteen （47.1%） had penetrating disease, 9 （26.5%） had stricturing disease and 9 （26.5%） had nonpenetrating and non-stricturing disease. The hospital admission prevalence of CD was 26.0 overall, Indians 52.6, Chinese 6.9, and Malays 9.3 per 10^5 admissions per ethnic group. The difference between Indians and Malays： [OR 5.67 （1.97, 17.53）P〈 0.001] was statistically significant but not between the Indians and the Chinese [OR 1.95 （0.89, 4.35） P= 0.700]. The difference between the Chinese and the Malays was also not statistically significant. [OR 2.90 （0.95, 9.42）P= 0.063]. CONCLUSION： The clinical presentation of CD is similar to the Western experience. Although the overall prevalence is low, there appears to be a clear racial predominance among the Indians.