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Our systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to evaluate the published literature from 2016 to 2019 on which the role of biomarkers in predicting the anastomotic leakage (AL) in gastroesophageal cancer surgery was investigated. This extensive literature search was conducted on the principles of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. PubMed, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), and Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE) were used to gather the relevant information. No restrictions were made on the type of biomarkers. Wald or likelihood ratio (LRT) fixed effect tests were used to estimate the pooled prevalence to generate the proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and model-fitted weights. For analyzing heterogeneity, the Cochran Q test and I square test were used. The Egger regression asymmetry test and funnel plot were used for publication. In this meta-analysis, a total of 15 studies were recruited with 1892 patients undergoing the resection. The pooled elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) was observed as 13.9% ranging from 11.6% to 16.1%. The pooled prevalence of other biomarkers with AL was observed as 4.4%. Significant heterogeneity was observed between studies that reported CRP and other biomarkers (92% each with chi-squared values of 78.80 and 122.78, respectively). However, no significant publication was observed between studies (p=0.61 and p=0.11, respectively). We concluded our study on this note that different biomarkers are involved in the diagnosis of AL. However, all these biomarkers are poor predictors with insufficient predictive value and sensitivity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Alanazi et al.)

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, and awareness of dentists in Ha'il, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, regarding the use of endocrown as post-endodontic restorations, utilizing an online questionnaire., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among dental practitioners working in Ha'il, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dentists who practice in the Ha'il were included in the current study. The survey study involved a sample size of 245 participants. The researchers employed the snowball sampling technique in this investigation. The validated, closed-ended questionnaires were disseminated to the entire sample of selected dental practitioners using electronic mail. The initial section of the survey encompassed inquiries pertaining to the demographic characteristics of the participants, encompassing variables such as gender, years of professional experience, and workplace. The subsequent section of the survey focused on assessing the participants' knowledge and opinions regarding the endocrown technique. The Chi-square test was employed to assess the associations between categorical variables., Results: The most of participants 228 (93.1%) had knowledge about endocrown and 94 (38.4%) of them received information from their educational institutions. Among the responses of the participants, 232 (94.7%) expressed their preference for utilizing endocrown restorations specifically for molar teeth. Moreover, 183 (74.7%) of respondents indicated that the endocrown is preferred when there is a restricted amount of inter-arch space available. A majority of respondents 152 (62.0%) indicated that the ferrule does not exert any influence on the endocrown. A majority of participants 135 (55.1%) expressed a preference for utilizing lithium disilicate ceramic in the fabrication of endocrown. The most of participants 209 (85.3%) opted to use resin cement for the purpose of cementation. The characteristics of gender, experience, and working place were found to have a significant relationship with the knowledge of the participants about endocrown (p <0.05)., Conclusions: The study participants need to enhance their knowledge and awareness pertaining to the utilization of endocrowns as a post-endodontic treatment., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Madfa et al.)

Introduction Amblyopia, also known as the lazy eye, is the reduction of the best-corrected visual acuity of one or both eyes that cannot be attributed exclusively to a structural abnormality of the eye. This study investigated the Hail population's awareness of amblyopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from May to October 2022. Data entry and analysis were done using RStudio (R version 4.1.1). Results This study included 496 of the general population (23.8% males and 76.2% females), and the majority of them had a university degree (65.7%). Of the population, 52.4% knew the definition of amblyopia, 43.4% knew the treatment of amblyopia, and 85.1% knew the importance of checking the child's vision before school to ensure normal development. In 35.7% of the population, the main source of information was the internet and social media. The median knowledge score of participants was 4 (interquartile range (IQR): 3-5) with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 9. Based on the univariate analysis, participants aged 41 years or older had significantly lower knowledge scores (β = -0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.81 to -0.99, p = 0.049), whereas respondents with a positive family history of amblyopia had a significantly higher knowledge score (β = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.02 to 0.61, p = 0.034). Conclusions This study assessed the awareness and knowledge of amblyopia among the population in Hail city. According to our data, we found a significantly poor awareness and knowledge compared to other big cities in the same country such as Riyadh and Jeddah. This indicates that knowledge in smaller cities is deficient in enough and accurate sources of knowledge of eye conditions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Almutairi et al.)

Introduction:  Diabetes mellitus causes a major burden on healthcare systems all around the world. It has been documented that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with long-term vascular complications including micro-vascular, macro-vascular, and mixed-vascular disorders. Several studies have concluded that the increment of arterial wall stiffness is correlated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular adverse events and the mortality associated with it., Aims:  This study purposed to evaluate the arterial stiffness measurements, using Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI), in T2DM patients, and the relationship with the fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and other factors that may increase the risk of elevated arterial stiffness in T2DM patients., Methodology:  A total of 200 patients were recruited from the outpatient setting at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al Khobar. A total of 181 patients fit the inclusion criteria. The charts of the patients who fit the inclusion criteria were reviewed and data related to age, gender, body mass index, smoking history, FBG, HbA1c levels, blood pressure (mmHg) measurements, and CAVI scores were collected., Results:  The elevation in CAVI readings was noted to be more prominent in the senior age group. Hypertensive patients also showed a significant increase in CAVI readings. In addition, higher CAVI readings were more associated with the male gender rather than females. All of which showed a significant correlation. Furthermore, although it was not significant, higher FBG levels and HbA1c readings were correlated with higher CAVI readings., Conclusion:  The results of the study suggest that factors like age, smoking status, gender, and the increase in blood pressure as well as the increase in blood glucose levels are correlated with higher CAVI readings in T2DM patients. This demonstrates their important effect on arterial wall stiffness while showing that CAVI can be used in predicting the prognosis of arterial wall health in patients with diabetes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Alghamdi et al.)

Musculoskeletal disorders represent a major public health problem and they are frequently managed in primary care centers. Shoulder pain is a frequent musculoskeletal complaint and it can result from intrinsic disorders of the shoulder or referred pain. We present the case of a 24-year-old woman who presented to the family medicine clinic complaining of left shoulder pain for three months duration. The pain was not associated with numbness or weakness. There was no history of preceding trauma. The initial diagnosis was supraspinatus tendinosis. The patient was prescribed oral analgesics and was advised to undergo multiple physiotherapy sessions. Later, the patient presented to the clinic again and reported she did not have any improvement in her symptoms. The patient was referred to the orthopedic clinic for further evaluation and management. The patient underwent a frontal radiograph of the chest which demonstrated a well-defined opacity located in the apex of the left lung. A computed tomography scan of the chest demonstrated the presence of erosion to the vertebral body raising the suspicion for a neurogenic tumor as was later supported by magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent video-assisted thoracotomy with brachial plexus exploration. Complete resection of the tumor was achieved with no complications. The present case highlights those common musculoskeletal complaints, such as shoulder pain, which could indicate underlying non-orthopedic pathology., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Alshammari et al.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily a respiratory illness and pulmonary manifestations are the typical presentations of the disease. However, it became evident that the COVID-19 is not limited to the respiratory system. Specifically, gastrointestinal involvement in patients with COVID-19 is very common, particularly in patients with a critical illness. We present a case of a 52-year-old man who was diagnosed as having severe COVID-19 pneumonia and underwent endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. The patient remained in the intensive care unit for seven days. Following his recovery, he started to experience generalized abdominal pain. The pain did not resolve with conservative measures. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen demonstrated small bowel loops clustered with a surrounding thin membrane. Such findings conferred the diagnosis of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis. The patient was prepared for laparoscopic surgery. Resection of the membrane was performed without any injury to the encapsulated bowel. Analysis of peritoneal fluid by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The patient had an uneventful recovery. Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis is a very rare condition associated with COVID-19 pneumonia. The present case is the first reported case to document the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the peritoneal fluid in a patient with sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Mofti et al.)