Prevalence of Associated Endocrine Diseases in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Background Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder that increases the risk of developing benign and malignant tumors. Several associated endocrine diseases in NF-1 patients have been explained in the literature. Thus, this study aims to assess the endocrine manifestations as there no previous local data have discussed this association. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at KAMC and KASCH, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by including all patients genetically confirmed with NF1 from 2004 until 2019 using a consecutive non-probability sampling technique. The included data were demographics, consanguinity, genetic variant mutations as well as associated endocrine diseases. Results The prevalence of patients with associated endocrine diseases was estimated to be 19.4%. Short stature showed the highest frequency of associated endocrine diseases followed by subclinical hypothyroidism. Positive consanguinity, sporadic mutation, and pathogenic variant showed high frequencies. Conclusion The coexistence of endocrine diseases was found in NF-1 patients. Therefore, screening for endocrine abnormality in patients with NF-1 by comprehensive history and physical exam as well as investigations to minimize complications and the late presentation should be considered; however, further studies are necessary to address the need.

Medical Students' Insights Towards Patient Safety.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore Saudi Arabian medical students' perceptions of patient safety. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September 2019. The Attitudes to Patient Safety Questionnaire (APSQ III) was used to explore undergraduate medical students' attitudes towards and knowledge of PS. The main outcomes measured were the APSQ III's nine domains. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and students' attitudes were communicated as mean scores ± standard deviations. RESULTS: A total of 301 participants were included in this study (response rate: 85.75%). Six domains reflected a positive attitude while three domains showed a neutral attitude. The domain of 'team functioning' had the highest mean score (5.8) followed by 'working hours as a cause of error' (5.6) and 'error inevitability' (5.4). There was a significant difference between gender in the domain 'patient involvement in reducing error' (P = 0.012) and 'importance of patient safety (PS) in the curriculum' (P = 0.001). In addition, the 'importance of PS in the curriculum' domain was significantly different across different age groups (P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Medical students were highly interested in PS and recommended implementing a comprehensive undergraduate PS programme to fulfil their educational needs.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Alopecia Areata at a Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS: A total of 216 patients with AA were included. The overall prevalence of AA was approximately 2.3%. The mean disease duration at the time of presentation was 2 months while the mean age of onset was 25.61 years. The most common type of AA in both adult and pediatric groups was the patchy type involving the scalp. Comorbid diseases were found in 32.41% of patients. Common associated conditions included hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and atopic diseases. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of AA among a population of Saudi patients is 2.3%. AA prevalence is higher in pediatrics than adults. Common comorbid conditions include hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and atopic diseases.

Atypical Location of Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Moyamoya Disease.

Moyamoya disease is a chronic, progressive bilateral occlusion or stenosis of terminal internal carotid arteries as well as the proximal anterior and middle cerebral arteries. Hemorrhage of the splenium of the corpus callosum rarely occurs with moyamoya disease. In this article, we report a case of a 53-year-old woman diagnosed with moyamoya disease by cerebral angiography. She presented to the emergency department complaining of unsteadiness and a tendency to fall forward for one week. The patient was investigated with head computed tomography (CT) scan upon presentation revealing atypical location of hemorrhage in the corpus callosum, mainly in the splenium.