Prevalence and characteristics of shunt malfunction without ventricular size change at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of shunt malfunction without change in ventricle size in imaging modalities, and its clinical presentation. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, from June 2015 to May 2019. Patient's demographics, clinical presentation and changes in ventricle size were collected. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23. RESULTS: The study included 42 patients who underwent shunt revision. Imaging showed no change in size in 10 (24%) patients, mild enlargement in 8 (19%), and obvious enlargement in 24 (57%). The mean age of diagnosis was 22±16.7. 55% of the patients were males, 45% females. The cause of the malfunction was ventricular catheter occlusion in 14 (34%) patients, 10 (24%) patients had valve-related malfunction, and peritoneal catheter occlusion was present in 6 (14%) patients, and 12 (28%) patients had a combination of the previously mentioned causes. Analysis of the association between ventricular size and headache, vomiting, seizure, confusion, and loss of consciousness in patients with unchanged ventricular size and those with increased ventricular size has shown no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Shunt malfunction without ventricular size change was observed in 24% of all shunt malfunction patients. In addition, there was no relationship between ventricular size and patient symptoms.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Pediatric Patients With Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in King Abdulaziz Medical City and King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital: A 10-Year Study.

Background Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) can be defined as "an immune-mediated acquired disease characterized by a transient or persistent decrease in the platelet count". Medical treatment is usually not needed but, in some cases, intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG), corticosteroids, and anti-D immunoglobulins are used. Splenectomy can be an option for chronic cases with no response to pharmacological treatments. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of pediatric patients with ITP in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) and King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital (KASCH) in a 10-year period. Methods The study was conducted at KAMC and KASCH. The number of recorded cases was 95, which included all ITP patients aged 1 to 14 from both genders who presented to KAMC previously and KASCH currently from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2017. The data analysis and entry were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Among 95 pediatric patients with ITP, 51 (53.7%) were males and 44 (46.3%) were females, with a median age of 4.00 ± 3.977. Among them, 84 (92.7%) had purpura, 38 (46.3%) had epistaxis, 43 (39%) had petechia, 17 (24.3%) had fever, and 20 (19.5%) had gum bleeding. Out of 95 patients, 91 (95.8%) were given treatment. Out of those 91 patients who were given treatment, IVIG was used in 84 (92.3%), steroids were used in 44 (48.4%), 14 patients received platelet transfusion (15.4%), rituximab was used in 7 (7.7%), and splenectomy was done in 5 (5.5%); 32 (33.7%) cases were considered chronic (more than one year), and 63 (66.3%) were considered acute. Among chronic patients, only one death was recorded, while in acute, no deaths were recorded. Conclusion In conclusion, ITP is an autoimmune disease that decreases platelet count. The results showed a significant difference in treatment compared to the literature but similar results in other aspects.