Search

Background: This study evaluated the levels of awareness, knowledge, and attitude, including sun‑protection habits, toward basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis among the Saudi population. Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted among the general population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia using a 12‑item survey concerning the knowledge and awareness of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, as well as associated preventive measures. A Chi‑square test was used to determine associations among variables. Results: The majority of participants were unaware of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis (80.7%), while 8.6% were aware of both, and 9.8% and 1% were aware of only basal cell carcinoma or actinic keratosis, respectively. The majority of participants who were educated up to high school level had no knowledge of either condition (96%, P < 0.0001). Among participants with high levels of awareness of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, medical practitioners were identified as the main source of information (72.5%, P < 0.0001, and 70.6%, P < 0.0001, respectively). The majority of participants whose knowledge of the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer was insufficient also lacked sufficient awareness of either basal cell carcinoma or actinic keratosis (92.6%, P < 0.0001). The majority of participants (62.8%) declared using sunscreen “rarely”. Conclusion: This study showed a low level of knowledge about the risks associated with sun exposure and suitable protection methods, with only a small fraction of participants declaring a regular use of sunscreen. Public education campaigns are required to increase the awareness of cancer risks and protection methods among the Saudi population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squamous cell carcinoma of cervix commonly metastasizes to the lymph nodes of the pelvis and skin metastasis is a rare presentation even in the late stages of cervical cancer. We report here the first case of cervical cancer with skin metastasis in Saudi Arabia in a 69-year-old female that preceded the diagnosis of cervical carcinoma. Microscopic examination of the skin lesion revealed poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was in stage IVB based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system. Due to her late presentation and advanced stage, the decision was to place the patient on palliative therapy. Later, the patient passed away due to the progression of her disease. The case reported in this paper emphasizes the need for a complete clinical assessment to rule out metastatic disease from cases with known cervical cancer and include skin examination in their follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Depression in patients with a skin condition can lead to severe consequences that affect the quality of life. To our knowledge, the estimated prevalence of depression in patients who visited dermatological clinics in Jeddah remains unknown. Aims: To assess the prevalence of depression among patients with dermatological conditions and evaluate the association between clinical and demographic characteristics and depressive symptoms. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dermatological patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used for screening depression. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test and odds ratios (ORs) were used to determine the association among variables. Results: The study included 273 participants. More than two-thirds (194) of the participants were women (71.1%). Depressive symptoms were prevalent in 43 (15.8%) participants. Depression was the most prevalent among patients with psoriasis (39.5%, P < 0.001), followed by those with acne (30.2% P = 0.04). Conclusion: Psychosocial assessment should be addressed when evaluating and treating dermatological diseases. Screening tools, including PHQ-9, can facilitate the early detection of depressive symptoms and improve clinical outcomes. Addressing psychosocial aspects of skin conditions may help in reducing exacerbation of symptoms, mainly for conditions aggravated by stress, including dermatitis and psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of obesity on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by assessing the relationship between OSA and body mass index (BMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among patients who had been referred to the sleep center at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) for polysomnography between January 2012 and September 2017. The data were abstracted from the medical records of these patients at KAUH. Initial data analysis included descriptive statistics; Chi-square test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA as appropriate were used to assess the associations between the variables. RESULTS: The study included 803 patients; the average age of the patients was 45.9 years and 56.5% were male. About 70.4% were obese, 54% of whom were classified as having Class 3 obesity. Approximately, 75% patients had OSA. The prevalence of OSA was higher among obese patients (77.7%) compared to nonobese patients (22.3%). Moreover, the severity of OSA was higher in obese patients, with 85.3% of obese patients considered as having severe OSA. CONCLUSION: Obesity is a considerable risk factor for developing OSA and could play a major role in increasing the severity of the disease. We encourage further studies on the impact of sedentary lifestyle and its association with OSA in Saudi Arabia, with an emphasis on the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and burden of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the work: obesity is recognized as a worldwide epidemic causing various chronic disease and high mortality rate. This study aimed to find out the relationship between BMI and hospital admission. Methods: this is a cross-sectional study. 968 participants who came to KAUH during July 2017 have been enrolled. Among the sample, 504 (52.1%) were inpatients, while the rest were apparently healthy participants found in the hospital including hospital visitors and relatives of the patients. The body measurements were taken. Chi square, t-test, and one-way ANOVA test were used. Results: among the sample, 452 (46.9%) were female. Based on BMI categories for all participants 70 (7.2%) were underweight, 298 (30.8%) had normal weight, 310 (32%) were overweight, and 290 (30%) were obese. There was no association between BMI and hospital admission among total sample. However, an association between BMI and being admitted with each gender separately have been found (p <0.05). There was a significant relationship between gender and admission (P<0.05), which revealed that females are more common to be admitted than males. Conclusion: taken each gender on its own, there was a relationship between the increasing BMI and being hospitalized. However, there was no association in between when both genders were compared one to the other. Such a conclusion, signify the need for more health campaigns to educate the general population on the possible harmful consequences of being obese. Considering the controversy between previous studies on this topic, more studies are suggested to be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]