The severity of dry eye symptoms and risk factors among university students in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a tear film disorder caused by increased tear evaporation or decreased production. The heavy workload on the eye and the increased usage of digital screens may decrease blink frequency, leading to an increased evaporation rate and an upsurge in the incidence and severity of DES. This study aims to assess the severity of DES symptoms and the risk factors among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Umm AlQura University to evaluate the severity of DES among students and explore its potential association with digital screen use. Validated questionnaires were used to assess the severity of DES and digital screen usage. The study included 457 participants, of which 13% had symptoms suggestive of severe DES. Furthermore, multiple risk factors had a significant association with the severity of DES, including gender, use of monitor filters, monitor and room brightness, and smoking habits. DES symptoms were prevalent among university students, particularly female students. Although there was no significant association with the duration of screen usage and collage distribution. Other factors however, such as the usage of screen monitors and the brightness of both the monitor and the room, were significantly associated with the severity of DES symptoms.

Idiopathic Orbital Inflammation Treated With Rituximab Monotherapy.

Idiopathic orbital inflammation is a benign condition that affects the orbit and the extra-orbital structures. It presents as ocular pain, peri-orbital swelling, proptosis, and restricted ocular movements. This condition is diagnosed based on clinical features that are then confirmed by radiological and histopathological findings. Corticosteroids are the initial therapy of choice. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are added in steroid non-responsive patients. Rituximab is now becoming increasingly used as a third-line therapy for this disease. We report a case of idiopathic orbital inflammation treated with rituximab monotherapy without the use of corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.