Uncorrected Refractive Errors Among Children Attending Pediatric Ophthalmology Clinic at Security Forces Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Refractive errors are globally one of the most prevalent ocular disorders among pediatrics. This study aimed to determine the pattern of uncorrected refractive errors among children attending pediatric ophthalmology clinics at Security Forces Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort clinic-based study including the records of children attending the pediatric ophthalmology clinic at Security Forces Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, between July 2021 and July 2022 who were diagnosed with refractive errors, ages between 4 and 14 years. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients were included in the study while 26 patients with other ocular disorders were excluded from the study. The mean age of children included in the study was 9.1 ± 2.9. The most prevalent refractive errors were hyperopic astigmatism (64%), followed by myopic astigmatism (28.1%), then myopia (5.3%), and hyperopia (2.6%). The overall uncorrected refractive error of this study was estimated to be 36%. No significant association was found between the factors of age and gender on the type of refractive errors (P-value > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The most prevalent pattern of uncorrected refractive errors among children attending pediatric ophthalmology clinics at Security Forces Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia was hyperopic astigmatism followed by myopic astigmatism. No differences were found between different age groups and between genders on the type of refractive errors. Implementation of adequate vision screening programs for school-aged children is essential to detect uncorrected refractive errors at an early age.

Pediatric Prostatic Abscess Caused by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

While prostatic abscesses infrequently occur in adults, they are extremely rare in children. We present a rare case of a prostatic abscess in a 13-year-old male patient caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The patient had no significant past history and presented to our clinic reporting a two-week history of lower abdominal pain, foul-smelling urethral discharge, a burning sensation during urination with pain in the tip of his penis, and itchiness around the anus. On examination, we noted lower abdominal tenderness, and on per rectal examination, we noted tenderness in the anterior wall of the rectum. A culture from the urethral discharge was positive for MRSA. The patient was diagnosed with a prostatic abscess and was started on antibiotics. We performed ultrasound-guided transrectal drainage, and afterward, the patient's condition improved. He was doing well on the last follow-up. This case reminds physicians to consider prostatic abscesses in patients with lower urinary tract infections that do not respond to antibiotics.