RESUMO
Objective: This review was undertaken to highlight the worldwide prevalence and causes of visual impairment [VI], on the basis of a wide range of recent and clearly defined data and in comparison with published articles from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Methods: These data are mainly based on PubMed indexed journal articles. Some representative surveys from each of the six WHO regions across the globe were included in this review with special reference to Saudi Arabian studies
Results: Published literature show that the prevalence and causes of VI varies markedly in different parts of the world and from region to region within the same country. Cataract, uncorrected refractive errors and glaucoma were shown to be the leading causes of VI worldwide and in Saudi Arabia. Diabetic retinopathy was found to have more contribution in Saudi Arabia due the higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus in this country
Conclusion: Epidemiological surveys about the prevalence and causes of VI are crucial for the formulation of preventive and curative measures. Data about VI are still scarce with a need to make wider population based surveys, worldwide and in Saudi Arabia for in-depth evaluation of the problem and better strategies to reduce the burden of VI
RESUMO
The cyto-genetic hallmark of chronic myeloid leukaemia [CML], the Philadelphia chromosome [Ph], is the first consistent chromosomal abnormality that has been associated to a certain cancer type. In CML, Philadelphia chromosome is present leading to resistance to cell death and rapid proliferation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the different responses, toxicity and survival of Saudi CML patients to imatinib mesylate. All newly diagnosed CML patients who were treated with imatinib were included in this study. We investigated haematological, and molecular and cytogenetic responses by CBC, FISH and RT-PCR respectively. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assayed using AUC and TUNEL respectively. Of the 12 cases, 9 [75%] were males and 3 [25%] were female. Four [33%] of the cases were diagnosed incidentally and 8 cases [67%] presented mainly with fatigue [75%], fever [58%], and splenomegaly [83%]. Signs of bleeding and rashes were rare at presentation. The majority of patients had low risk [8, 67%], and 33% had intermediate risk; but none of them had high risk CML. At the last follow up, 11 [92%] were in remissions. One patient [8%] was in remission after 3 years, 4 [33%] were in remission after 6 years, one was in remission after 7 years and 5 [42%] were in remission after 10 years. Only one patient had incomplete major molecular response [MMR] to imatinib after 12 years. The majority of the patients [10, 83%] were in MMR after 6 years and 42% of them were in MMR after 10 years of therapy. Adverse effects of imatinib were not reported by the patients. Imatinib treatment resulted in the reduction of proliferation and induction of apoptosis of CML CFU-GM cells. Imatinib mesylate is capable of treating Philadelphia chromosome-positive CP-CML without any adverse effects.