Neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not impair liver regeneration following hepatectomy or portal vein embolization for colorectal cancer liver metastases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Treatment strategies for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) such as major hepatectomy and portal vein embolization (PVE) rely on liver regeneration. We aim to investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on liver regeneration occurring after PVE and after major hepatectomy. METHODS: CRCLM patients undergoing PVE or major resection were identified retrospectively from our database. Liver regeneration data (expressed as future liver remnant [FLR] and percentage of liver regeneration [%LR]), total liver volume (TLV) and clinical characteristics were collected. RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2013, 226 patients were included (85 major resection, 141 PVE). The median chemotherapy cycles was six in both groups. The median time interval between the last chemotherapy and the intervention was 51 days in the PVE group and 79 days in the hepatectomy group. In the PVE group, chemotherapy was not associated with altered liver regeneration (number of cycles [P = 0.435], timing [P = 0.563], or chemotherapy agent [P = 0.116]). Similarly in the major hepatectomy group, preoperative chemotherapy (number of cycles [P = 0.114]; agent [P = 0.061], timing [P = 0.126]) were not significantly associated with differences in liver regeneration (P = 0.592). In both groups, the predicted FLR% was inversely correlated with the %LR (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy does not affect liver regeneration following PVE or major resection. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:449-455. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Cataracts and Their Associated Factors Among Hail Region Residents in Saudi Arabia.

Background Cataract is a condition that affects the lens, causing separation and/or aggregation of proteins and disrupting the regular alignment of cell fibers. Cataracts have many known risk factors contributing to their development, such as diabetes, oral steroid therapy, smoking, and high body mass index. Good knowledge about cataracts may improve the quality of treatment through early diagnosis. Unfortunately, poor knowledge is still a significant barrier to reducing blindness caused by cataracts in developing countries. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-validated questionnaire and online questionnaires. Participants were approached through multiple social media platforms from June 2022 to August 2022. Results Of the 307 participants, with a mean age of 32.4 ± 12.8 years, 51.5% had good knowledge of cataracts and their related risk factors, while 28.7% had a favorable attitude about cataracts. Of all participants, 50.5% reported a diagnosis of cataract. The majority of participants, 58.6%, who did not have cataracts, had good knowledge versus 44.5% of others with (p = 0.014). Moreover, 75% of participants aged 50 years or older had good overall cataract knowledge levels compared to 38.9% of others aged 30-39 years (p = 0.002). Conclusions Cataracts are a preventable cause of blindness that can be corrected by surgery. In this study, we discovered extremely concerning rates of knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding cataracts among the populations of Hail City. More educational programs should be directed toward spreading knowledge about cataracts to patients and the public.

Prevalence of Low Back Pain Among University Attendants in Tabuk City During 2023: A Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: College students are at a higher risk of suffering low back pain (LBP). Assessing the magnitude of the problem and the associated risk factors can help reduce the suffering and disability in future doctors. AIM: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and related factors of LBP among medical students in the University of Tabuk and emphasize the need for targeted interventions that could help alleviate the burden of LBP among the students and improve their quality of life. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used an online well-structured, self-report questionnaire to collect the respondents' data. The questionnaire explored the participants' sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and the severity of LBP-related disability using the modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)) score. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of LBP was 26.8%. The independent factors that significantly increased the probability of LBP included overweight/obesity (odds ratio (OR): 1.696, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.086 to 2.648, p = 0.020) and stretching exercises (OR: 1.784, 95% CI: 1.104 to 2.883, p = 0.018). The independent predictors that significantly increased the severity of ODI included married marital status (p = 0.007), back surgery (p = 0.031), and higher pain intensity (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the prevalence rate of LBP among our sample was around 26%. This rate is approximate to the rates reported in previous studies. Furthermore, the activities most affected by LBP were sitting, standing, and lifting. Future studies should explore other risk factors and attempt to determine the onset of pain. A longitudinal study design is recommended to identify the onset of developing LBP.

Awareness and Knowledge of Amblyopia: A Cross-Sectional Study Among the Population of Hail City, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Amblyopia, also known as the lazy eye, is the reduction of the best-corrected visual acuity of one or both eyes that cannot be attributed exclusively to a structural abnormality of the eye. This study investigated the Hail population's awareness of amblyopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from May to October 2022. Data entry and analysis were done using RStudio (R version 4.1.1). Results This study included 496 of the general population (23.8% males and 76.2% females), and the majority of them had a university degree (65.7%). Of the population, 52.4% knew the definition of amblyopia, 43.4% knew the treatment of amblyopia, and 85.1% knew the importance of checking the child's vision before school to ensure normal development. In 35.7% of the population, the main source of information was the internet and social media. The median knowledge score of participants was 4 (interquartile range (IQR): 3-5) with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 9. Based on the univariate analysis, participants aged 41 years or older had significantly lower knowledge scores (ß = -0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.81 to -0.99, p = 0.049), whereas respondents with a positive family history of amblyopia had a significantly higher knowledge score (ß = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.02 to 0.61, p = 0.034). Conclusions This study assessed the awareness and knowledge of amblyopia among the population in Hail city. According to our data, we found a significantly poor awareness and knowledge compared to other big cities in the same country such as Riyadh and Jeddah. This indicates that knowledge in smaller cities is deficient in enough and accurate sources of knowledge of eye conditions.

Medical students' perception of international health electives in the undergraduate medical curriculum at the College of Medicine, King Saud University.

BACKGROUND: International health electives prepare medical students during their student years of medical education in choosing, matching, and succeeding in the residency of their choice. They serve as a unique educational experience prior to residency training. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to explore 4th- and 5th-year medical students' perspective about international health electives and to evaluate their educational effects. METHODS: An anonymous online survey with 22 items concerning perceptions about the electives with a 5-point Likert scale was administered to medical students at the College of Medicine, King Saud University. RESULTS: For the majority of the students (81.6%) the elective course was arranged by the university and only 18.4% of students individually arranged their own. Most of the students (65.7%) agreed that the objective of the elective course was clear to them in advance. A total of 71.1% of students agreed that the program (elective) was responsive to their needs (both academically and socially). CONCLUSION: This is the first study looking at international electives in the context of the undergraduate medical curriculum in Saudi Arabia. The study showed that the international electives are a useful and unique experience for medical students (both academically and socially).

Autologous bone marrow-derived cells in the treatment of liver disease patients.

Liver transplantation is universally accepted as a "cure" procedure, and yet is not universally applicable for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases (ESLD) because of the shortage of donors, operative complications, risk of rejection, and high cost. Bioartificial liver device is an option to temporarily improve the liver function and to bridge the patients to liver transplantation. However, bioartificial liver device has many problems in clinical application, such as hepatocyte allograft rejection and maintenance of hepatocyte viability and function. Another therapeutic option is stem cell transplantation. There are two broad types of stem cells: Embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. The latter are sourced from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue, and blood. This review will concentrate on BM-derived cells. BM-derived cell transplantation, although not ideal, is theoretically an optimal modality for the treatment of ESLD. Autologous BM-derived cells have no graft rejection, have the capability of regeneration and self-renewal, and are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types which include hepatocytes. The pathway from BM-derived cell to hepatocyte is well documented. The present review summarizes the delivery routes of BM-derived cells to the liver, the evidences of engraftment of BM-derived cells in the liver, and the possible mechanisms of BM-derived cells in liver repair and regeneration, and finally, updates the clinical applications.