ABSTRACT
Rosacea is a common cutaneous condition caused by persistent, recurring lesions in facial skin vessels. It is a chronic skin condition with a variety of clinical symptoms and an unknown cause. Rosacea begins with the widening of capillaries and a flushed appearance. Following that, telangiectasia appears, and reddened patches persist, particularly on the cheeks and nose. Erythema persists due to repeated vasodilation and telangiectasia. In addition, skin inflammation manifests as papules, pustules, lymphedema, and fibrosis. Despite recent advances in treatment, rosacea, a chronic inflammatory relapsing central facial dermatosis, can be extremely difficult to manage. The purpose of this meta-analysis and systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose isotretinoin in the treatment of rosacea. Following the guidelines set forth by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), the researcher employed the following search terms in the EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases to provide a therapeutic update relevant to clinical practice: "low dose isotretinoin," "isotretinoin and rosacea," "isotretinoin treatment of rosacea," and "effectiveness of isotretinoin in treating rosacea". The search was carried out by the researcher for articles published from February 2019 to February 2024. The articles included were all published in the English language. The overall frequency of patients with adverse events differed significantly between the groups treated with low-dose isotretinoin and the comparators (minocycline, pulsed dye laser, evening primrose oil, Lactobacillus plantarum, doxycycline, combined dose or placebo) (0.80, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.88, p = 0.0001). Sub-group analysis indicated that there was a difference between the interventions used in the treatments all in favor of low-dose isotretinoin treatment. The results showed that the moderate group had RR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.44-1.30, I2 = 0%; the mild group had RR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.56-1.57, I2 = 0%; and the group with severe rosacea had RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.47-1.13, I2 = 0%. According to this study, rosacea can be treated effectively with low-dose isotretinoin even in patients at severe stages of the disease by using the recommended dose once a week. Further, the intervention has also been shown to have fewer side effects on the patients. Therefore, this study recommends randomized controlled trials to be done to fully investigate the best combination options for isotretinoin on mild to severe rosacea based on the fact that some of the treatments combined have shown to be effective on treatment.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a worldwide disease. It is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease with cutaneous and systemic symptoms that is characterized by erythematous squamous plaques. OBJECTIVES: To study the perception and assessment of psoriasis among the general population of Jazan, Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that used a self-administrated electronically distributed questionnaire that enrolled 410 people. RESULTS: Most participants (79%) were familiar with the term "psoriasis," with family, friends, or acquaintances being the primary source of knowledge. Personal experience with psoriasis was reported by 28.3% of participants, with women being more likely to know someone with the condition. If affected by psoriasis, the majority of respondents would consult a dermatologist (89.3%). Although 48% of participants considered psoriasis to be a significant burden for affected individuals, negative attitudes and discrimination towards those with the condition were prevalent, with a significant proportion stating that they would not want to eat at the same table, shake hands, or be in a personal relationship with someone with psoriasis. Additionally, most participants reported feeling sorry for psoriasis patients but also expressed disgust towards them. Awareness of public actions related to psoriasis was generally low, with only a small percentage of participants familiar with the WHO resolution on psoriasis or World Psoriasis Day. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the need for increased education and awareness about psoriasis to address misunderstandings and reduce the burden of the condition on patients. Additionally, efforts are needed to reduce stigma and discrimination towards those with psoriasis, which can significantly impact their quality of life.
ABSTRACT
Contraception is one of the common methods of family planning. The oral contraceptive pill (OCP) is among the most effective methods of contraception. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oral contraception use and its side effects among women in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was carried out among adult women 18 years and older in the Jazan region. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess their demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, previous experience, and pattern of OCP usage. Descriptive analysis and a logistic regression model were used to analyse data. About 570 questionnaires were distributed and achieved a 98.3% response rate. The majority of women participants were between 18 and 25 years old, and 51.4% of the respondents reported that they had previously used or were using OCP. We found that women had good knowledge and a positive attitude towards OCP, with more than half of the users preferring them over other contraceptive methods. This study indicates that attitude, knowledge, and prior experience of OCP have no significant effect on the usage pattern of OCP among women with relatively high socioeconomic status in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia.
