Typology and credibility of Internet health websites originating from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The quality of information available on health websites in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has not been comprehensively assessed. From November to December 2012 we retrieved all functional health-related websites (n = 925) originating in GCC countries. Data on authorship, language, date, information content and type of site were recorded. A novel website checklist was developed based on the credibility and trust criteria of the Internet assessment organization Health On the Net Foundation (HON). Only 5 sites (0.5%) fulfilled all checklist categories. All websites except one were in English or Arabic languages. Only 10.1% of websites posted a privacy policy, 2.7% stated the authorship of information, 51.0% disclosed website ownership, 80.6% provided contact details and 58.5% dated information. Only 1.7% reported their advertising policy and 23.5% revealed sponsorships. GCC health website owners should consider working with the HON or similar organizations to meet internationally recognized credibility criteria.

Typology and credibility of Internet health websites originating from Gulf Cooperation Council countries

The quality of information available on health websites in the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] countries has not been comprehensively assessed. From November to December 2012 we retrieved all functional health-related websites [n - 925] originating in GCC countries. Data on authorship, language, date,information content and type of site were recorded. A novel website checklist was developed based on the credibility and trust criteria of the Internet assessment organization Health On the Net Foundation [HON]. Only 5 sites [0.5%] fulfilled all checklist categories. All websites except one were in English or Arabic languages.Only 10.1% of websites posted a privacy policy, 2.7% stated the authorship of information, 51.0% disclosed website ownership,80.6% provided contact details and 58.5% dated information. Only 1.7% reported their advertising policy and 23.5% revealed sponsorships. GCC health website owners should consider working with the HON or similar organizations to meet internationally recognized credibility criteria

La qualité des informations disponibles sur les sites Web de santé des pays du Conseil de Coopération du Golfe n'a pas été évaluée de manière exhaustive. De novembre à décembre 2012, nous avons répertorié tous les sites Web actifs consacrées aux questions de santé [n = 925] créés dans des pays du Conseil de Coopération du Golfe. Les données sur les auteurs, la langue, la date et les informations disponibles ainsi que sur le type de site Web ont été enregistrées. Une nouvelle liste de contrôle des sites Web innovante a été élaborée à partir des critères de crédibilité et de confiance de la fondation Health On the Net [HON]- la Santé sur Internet, organisme d'évaluation des sites Web. Seuls cinq sites [0,5 %] avaient des résultats satisfaisants pour toutes les catégories de la liste de contrôle. Tous les sites Web, sauf un, étaient en langue anglaise ou langue arabe. Seuls 10,1 % des sites avaient publié une politique de confidentialité ; 2,7 % citaient les auteurs des informations ; 51,0 % révélaient l'identité du propriétaire du site ; 80,6 % fournissaient des coordonnées et 58,5 % avaient daté les informations publiées. Seuls 1,7 % précisait leur politique en matière de publicité et 23,5 % indiquaient les parrainages. Les propriétaires des sites dédiés à la santé dans des pays du Conseil de Coopération du Golfe devraient envisager de collaborer avec la fondation HON ou des organisations similaires pour satisfaire aux critères de crédibilité internationalement reconnus

T-cell lymphoma in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

An elderly Caucasian woman with a 2-year-history of hypothyroidism, treated with thyroxine, presented with a rapidly growing mass in the thyroid. The morphological and immunological features of this thyroid tumour were those of a peripheral T-cell lymphoma with an immunophenotype commonly associated with HTLV-1 positive-adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma, although serology for HTLV1 antibody was negative. Monoclonal gene rearrangements were demonstrated with T-cell receptor beta- and gamma-specific primers. There are several interesting features in this case (i): although primary B-cell lymphomas (MALT-associated lymphomas) of thyroid are a well-recognized sequel to thyroiditis, primary T-cell lymphomas are rare, even in areas of the world where adult T-cell lymphomas predominate; (ii) the tumour showed the typical immunophenotype of an HTLV-1 positive T-cell lymphoma but the patient is English, has not visited endemic areas, and is serologically negative for HTLV-1; (iii) the residual thyroid gland showed a florid lymphocytic thyroiditis with Hürthle cell change, typical of Hashimoto's thyroiditis; (iv) unlike other reports of thyroid T-cell lymphoma, which have presented with stage III-IV disease, this tumour presented in the favourable clinical stage of IE.