Attitudes of Saudi Arabian undergraduate medical students towards health research

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate attitudes, perceptions and perceived barriers towards health research among Saudi Arabian undergraduate medical students

Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between August and October 2014 and included 520 students from five medical schools across Saudi Arabia. An anonymous online survey with 21 close-ended questions was designed to assess students' attitudes towards research, contribution to research-related activities, awareness of the importance of research, perception of available resources/opportunities for research, appreciation of medical students' research contributions and perceived barriers to research. Responses were scored on a 5-point Likert scale

Results: A total of 401 students participated in the study [response rate: 77.1%]. Of these, 278 [69.3%] were female. A positive attitude towards research was reported by 43.9% of the students. No statistically significant differences were observed between genders with regards to attitudes towards and available resources for research [P = 0.500 and 0.200, respectively]. Clinical students had a significantly more positive attitude towards research compared to preclinical students [P = 0.007]. Only 26.4% of the respondents believed that they had adequate resources/opportunities for research. According to the students, perceived barriers to undertaking research included time constraints [n = 200; 49.9%], lack of research mentors [n = 95; 23.7%], lack of formal research methodology training [n = 170; 42.4%] and difficulties in conducting literature searches [n = 145; 36.2%]

Conclusion: Less than half of the surveyed Saudi Arabian medical students had a positive attitude towards health research. Medical education policies should aim to counteract the barriers identified in this study

Ocular malignant tumors. Review of the tumor registry at a tertiary eye hospital in central Saudi Arabia

To present the epidemiologic profile and magnitude of ocular malignant tumors [MT] representative of the Saudi population from the Tumor Registry [TR] at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital [KKESH]. This study evaluated the demographic information, clinical features including tumor laterality, ocular tissue of origin, and diagnosis of patients from the TR registry between 1983 and 2012 at KKESH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The incidence of MT among Saudi adults [>/= 15 years old], and children [<15 years old] was estimated. The TR recorded 4,146 neoplasms [2,509 [60.5%] benign tumors, and 1,637 [39.5%] MT]. The incidence of MT in children was 3.6 per million/year [M/Y], and 2.4/M/Y for adults. Retinoblastoma [Rb] [n=763, 91%] was the most common ocular malignancy in children. In adults, the most common MT was squamous cell carcinoma [SCC] [n=363, 45.8%], basal cell carcinoma [BCC] [n=186, 23%], uvealmelanoma [n=94, 11.9%], sebaceous gland carcinoma [n=54, 6.8%], lymphomas [orbital, adnexal] [n=46, 5.8%], and others [n=53, 6.8%]. The Rb [7.7/M/Y in <5 years old Saudi children] was less frequent than that reported in some Gulf countries, but higher than that reported from the West. The SCC was less frequent in countries with comparable sun exposure than in other continents, but the incidence remained unchanged over 3 decades. There was a significant increase in BCC between 1983-1992 and 2003-2012. The rates of all cancers remained stable over 3 decades except BCC, which showed a significant rise

Development of a web-based glaucoma registry at King Khaled eye specialist hospital, Saudi Arabia: a cost-effective methodology

In this brief communication, we present the steps used to establish a web-based congenital glaucoma registry at our institution. The contents of a case report form [CRF] were developed by a group of glaucoma subspecialists. Information Technology [IT] specialists used Lime Survey softwareTM to create an electronic CRF. A MY Structured Query Language [MySQL] server was used as a database with a virtual machine operating system. Two ophthalmologists and 2 IT specialists worked for 7 hours, and a biostatistician and a data registrar worked for 24 hours each to establish the electronic CRF. Using the CRF which was transferred to the Lime survey tool, and the MYSQL server application, data could be directly stored in spreadsheet programs that included Microsoft Excel, SPSS, and R-Language and queried in real-time. In a pilot test, clinical data from 80 patients with congenital glaucoma were entered into the registry and successful descriptive analysis and data entry validation was performed. A web-based disease registry was established in a short period of time in a cost-efficient manner using available resources and a team-based approach.

Pigmented hypopyon in association with monocytogenes endophthalmitis: an interesting case report following refractive surgery procedure with literature review

Listeria monocytogenes is an aerobic, motile, gram positive bacillus recognized as an intercellular pathogen in human where it most frequently affects neonates, pregnant women, elderly patients, and immunosuppressed individuals as well as healthy persons. Ocular listeriosis is rare, most frequently in the form of conjunctivitis, but has been also shown to cause rarely endophthalmitis with pigmented hypopyon and elevated intraocular pressure such as in our case. We are reporting one immunocompetent patient presenting with dark hypopyon following laser refractive procedure. His clinical findings, investigations, and further management are all described with relevant literature review of similar cases. Diagnosis of ocular listeriosis was confirmed by positive culture of anterior chamber [AC] aspirate with identification of the above organism. His visual outcome was satisfactory with good preserved vision. We believe that his ocular infection was exogenous and that ophthalmologists should be aware of the causative organisms of colored hypopyon to avoid delayed diagnosis

Combined true and pseudoexfoliation in a Saudi patient with co-existing cataract and glaucoma

True exfoliation and pseudoexfoliation of the anterior lens capsule are different conditions, their coexistence is rare. We report a case with clinical findings of unilateral combined true exfoliation and pseudoexfoliation in a Saudi Bedouin that was confirmed his-tologically. We suggest that high levels of infrared radiation in the desert may have contributed to the capsular delamination

Anterior orbit and adnexal amyloidosis

To describe six cases of anterior orbital and adnexal amyloidosis and to report on proteomic analysis to characterize the nature of amyloid in archived biopsies in two cases. The clinical features, radiological findings, pathology, and outcome of six patients with anterior orbit and adnexal amyloidosis were retrieved from the medical records. The biochemical nature of the amyloid was determined using liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy archived paraffin-embedded tissue in two cases. Of the six cases, three had unilateral localized anterior orbit and lacrimal gland involvement. Four of the six patients were female with an average duration of 12.8 years from the time of onset to presentation eyelid infiltration by amyloid caused ptosis in five cases. CT scan in patients with lacrimal gland involvement [n = 3] demonstrated calcified deformable anterior orbital masses and on pathological exmaintionamyloid and calcific deposits replaced the lacrimal gland acini. Ptosis repair was performed in three patients with good outcomes. One patient required repeated debulking of the mass and one patient had recurrenct disease. Proteomic analysis revealed polyclonal IgG-associated amyloid deposition in one patient and AL kappa amyloid in the second patient. Amyloidosis of the anterior orbit and lacrimal gland can present with a wide spectrum of findings with good outcomes after surgical excision. The nature of amyloid material can be precisely determined in archival pathology blocks using diagnostic proteomic analysis