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Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory condition with increasing global prevalence. There is some evidence highlighting the effect of asthma on brain functioning. In Saudi Arabia, limited studies have examined the relationship between asthma and mental health, including cognition and mood disorders in older adults in particular. In this study, we examine the association between asthma and mental health outcomes in middle-aged and elderly individuals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a cross-sectional study, 243 subjects were recruited from outpatient clinics between 2020-2021 (non-asthmatic: n = 159, asthmatic: n = 84). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Asthma Control Test were used to assess cognition, anxiety and depression, and asthma control, respectively. Logistic regression analysis while controlling for covariates revealed an association between asthma and symptoms of anxiety and depression (OR = 2.40 [95% CI: 1.07-5.35]) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (OR = 1.80 [95% CI: 1.00-3.24]). Poorly controlled asthma increased the odds of anxiety cases (OR = 4.88 [95% CI: 1.09-17.2]). Stratifying analysis by age intervals revealed that asthma was associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression (OR = 2.5 [95% CI: 1.00-6.08]) in middle-aged patients only, while elderly asthmatics had increased odds of having MCI (OR = 7.4 [95% CI: 2.34-23.31]). These findings highlight the possible effects of asthma and its control on mental health among middle-aged and elderly individuals in Saudi Arabia.
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Ocular pyogenic granuloma is a benign vascular tumor that occurs primarily in children. Treatment options for pyogenic conjunctival granulomas include topical steroids, topical timolol, surgery, cryotherapy, and electrocautery. Patients with giant pyogenic granulomas are usually treated with surgical intervention. In this case, a 13-year-old Egyptian girl developed a giant pyogenic granuloma after strabismus surgery. Topical steroids showed a poor response and failed to demonstrate any improvement. While on timolol, the granuloma completely regressed, with no signs of recurrence. Despite the usual surgical approach to the treatment of purulent giant granulomas, we believe that topical timolol can be the preferred option as a noninvasive alternative therapy since it is considered safe when compared to the potential risks of topical steroid therapy or surgical exposure.
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Introduction Patients with psoriasis suffer from an inflammatory immune-mediated skin condition that impacts their quality of life severely. In our study, we aimed to analyze the gender differences in clinical characteristics in patients with psoriasis and to assess the quality of life in these patients. Methods This is a retrospective observational study that was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results A total of 139 patients with psoriasis met the inclusion criteria, with a mean ± SD age of 45.53 ± 15.3 years. No statistically significant gender differences were observed in terms of disease duration, BMI, clinical type and body surface area (BSA) (P=0.657, P=0.782, P=0.565, P=0.088, respectively). However, psoriasis caused a significant impairment in the quality of life in female patients compared to males (P=0.036). Conclusion This study reports the gender differences in clinical characteristics in patients with psoriasis and its impact on the quality of life. More researches with larger sample size and different populations are needed in order to identify more potential gender-specific variations.
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Since its outbreak in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a sharp rise in the demand for oxygen and ventilation facilities due to the associated extensive damage that it causes to the lungs. This study is considered the first and largest study in Saudi Arabia to evaluate the outcomes of tracheostomy in intubated COVID-19 patients. This is a retrospective, observational cohort study that was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Jeddah, Western Region, Saudi Arabia and King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The findings of the study revealed that seventy-one patients with COVID-19 underwent tracheotomy between 1 March 2020 and 31 October 2020. The average period between intubation and tracheostomy was 9.97 days. Hypertension, diabetes, lung disease and obesity (BMI > 30) were significant risk factors of mortality. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 38.4%.
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PURPOSE: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on the severity of migraine symptoms and stress among adults in Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between December 2020 and February 2021, 1212 participants aged 18-65 years completed an online self-administered questionnaire that covered sociodemographic data, self-administered questions, the ID migraine screener, numeric pain rating scale, and the perceived stress scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. Student's t-test, paired t-test, and analysis of variance were used to compare quantitative variables, while the chi-square test was used to compare qualitative variables. RESULTS: After removing ineligible and incomplete responses, we analyzed data obtained from 1111 participants. The mean age of the participants was approximately 29 years old (± 11.2 years); moreover, 87% were females. Headache severity during the COVID-19 quarantine was significantly lower than that during the last 3 months, with a difference of only 0.41 on the 1-10 pain severity scale. There was a significantly increased stress prevalence during the COVID-19 quarantine. During the COVID-19 quarantine, 49%, 56%, and 62% of patients without migraine, patients with possible migraine, and patients with diagnosed migraine, respectively, reported worsening of their perceived stress. There was a weak positive correlation between the severity of migraine symptoms and stress during COVID-19 quarantine. Moreover, headache severity was positively affected by the history of COVID-19 infections. CONCLUSION: The headache severity in patients with migraine decreased during COVID-19 quarantine compared with that during the last 3 months. Additionally, patients with diagnosed migraine had significantly higher scores on the perceived stress scale than patients without migraine.
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Background Thyroid noduleshave become relatively common in clinical practice,and their prevalence increases with age. The majority of thyroid nodules are benign, with 5-15% being malignant. There are a number of well-established predictors of malignancy in thyroid nodules, but thyroid nodule size has been a cause for concern for many researchers and results of the studies are still controversial about their probability of malignancy. Up to the current knowledge, there is no published study that evaluates if thyroid nodule size is associated with the risk of malignancy in Saudi Arabia, so in this study, we aim to find that. Methods This is a retrospective study of 987 patients who underwent thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and subsequent thyroidectomy for thyroid nodules measuring ≥ 1 cm. Results Thyroid cancer was more prevalent in males than females, and in patients who were older than or equal to 45 years. Nodular size of 1 - 1.9 cm was more prevalent among cancer patients than in benign cases (p<0.001). Conclusions The highest malignancy risk was observed in nodules <2 cm and no increase in malignancy risk for nodules >2 cm. Nevertheless, when examined by type of thyroid malignancy, the rate of follicular carcinoma and other rare malignancy increased with increasing nodule size.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6841.].
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Objective Our study was performed to identify the clinical findings, risk factors, and complications of deep neck space infections (DNSI) at our center and compare our experience with the experiences of others. Methods Retrospectively, 183 cases of DNSI met our inclusion criteria from 2000 to 2018 at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Jeddah, Western Region, Saudi Arabia. Results In our study, analysis showed that males are more likely to have DNSI (88.7%). The most common site of infection is the peritonsillar abscess (30.6%). Dental infections were found to be the most common etiological factor for DNSI (42.6%). Streptococcus pyogenes was found to be the most common microorganism (39.3%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (21.3%). Diabetes and hypertension (45.2% and 23.7%, respectively) are the most commonly associated disorders in patients with DNSI. Extension to another space was the most common complication of DNSI. Conclusion Despite the wide usage of antibiotics, DNSI still occur and are life-threatening conditions that need urgent management to avoid unpleasant complications.
