ABSTRACT
Behçet's disease (BD), a rare multisystemic disorder, has an unknown etiology. Interactions between genetic and environmental factors play a major role in this disorder. Human leukocyte antigen B51 allele is the strongest risk factor for the development of Behçet disease. The high prevalence of BD in the Arab world makes it necessary to undergo local research and publications, to target particular genetic, geographical, or even cultural risk factors. This study aims to assess the numerical contribution of the Arab world to research on Behçet disease. Using the PubMed platform, the number of BD-related publications from 2005 to 2019 was assessed for all 22 Arab countries, and countries having the highest prevalence of the disease. Number of publications on BD was normalized to the average population size and GDP for each Arab country. From 2005 to 2019, Arab countries published 198 articles related to BD. This accounts for 0.1% of the total number of BD-related articles published in this period (4170). A significant, positive correlation of moderate strength exists between the number of publications and the average population, while a non-significant, positive correlation of week strength exists between the number of publications and GDP. Concerning the top 15 countries according to Behçet disease prevalence, Turkey had the greatest number of articles, while the USA had the highest ratio of publications per prevalence. The high prevalence of BD in Arabic countries was faced by paradoxically low research activity in this field. Arab countries are lagging behind in the field of Behçet disease-related research, which highlights the need for improving research productivity.
Subject(s)
Behcet Syndrome , Bibliometrics , Arab World , Behcet Syndrome/diagnosis , Behcet Syndrome/genetics , Behcet Syndrome/therapy , Biomedical Research/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Male , Periodicals as Topic/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Esophageal cancer, notably rare in the proximal esophagus, demonstrates poor outcomes despite advanced treatments. This case underscores the successful management of proximal esophageal adenocarcinoma using chemoradiotherapy alone. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old Mediterranean woman presented with severe dysphagia and was diagnosed with stage IVA T4b N0M0 esophageal adenocarcinoma. She achieved complete remission after chemoradiotherapy, evidenced by PET CT scans, without surgical intervention. DISCUSSION: This case highlights the rarity of proximal esophageal adenocarcinoma and challenges the conventional treatment paradigm, emphasizing the potential of chemoradiotherapy as a standalone treatment in selected advanced cases. CONCLUSION: The complete response to chemoradiotherapy in this case of proximal esophageal adenocarcinoma illustrates the need for personalized treatment strategies and further research into non-surgical options for esophageal cancer management.
ABSTRACT
Hypochloremia is an electrolyte disturbance characterized by low serum concentration of chloride ions, often occurring in acute illnesses and characterized by nonspecific signs and symptoms. It rarely results from decreased intake and is predominantly due to either renal or extra-renal losses. We report a case of severely worsening symptomatic hypochloremia resulting from an extra-renal loss of chloride ion in a 58-year-old female patient presenting for prolonged protracted vomiting. Chloremia reached a surprising level of 48 mEq/L, the lowest level reported in the literature. The patient was eventually diagnosed with a rare signet ring cell carcinoma that occurred in the ampulla of Vater, leading to a malignant gastric outlet obstruction and causing extra-renal loss of chloride.