Objectives:This study was designed to assess the quality of life in a group of Egyptian substance dependence patients by comparing it with World Health Organization (WHO) standards and to assess the correlation between their quality of life and personality dimensions. Methods:A total of 54 patients with substance dependence (after detoxification) were diagnosed by the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV over a period of 6 months at the Okasha Institute of Psychiatry in Ain Shams University and at the Psychiatric Health Resort in Cairo. Their quality of life and personality profiles were assessed using the WHO Quality of Life-100 instrument and Temperament and Character Inventory. Results:Substance dependence patients had a significantly worse overall quality of life than the WHO standards. This deterioration was evident in physical, psychological, level of independence, social, and spiritual domains of the WHO Quality of Life-100 instrument. Overall quality of life had a significant negative correlation with novelty seeking, whereas it had a significant positive correlation with self directedness. Conclusions:All treatment programs should pay more attention to improve defective aspects and overall quality of life in substance dependence patients. Higher novelty seeking and lower self directedness were linked to poorer overall quality of life in those patients. This finding reflects the importance of addressing these personality dimensions in the treatment plan of such patients.

Background Thyroid Associated Ophthalmopathy (TAO) or Graves Opthalmopathy (GO) is a very common autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland which activates the gland function and result in hyperthyroidism. Some patients with graves disease(GD) develop localized manifestations including GO and dermopathy. Dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) is impairment of optic nerve function due to GO, the most serious complication of GO which occurs in about 4–8% of patients, it occurs due to ischemia and inflammation of the optic nerve, also compression of the optic nerve due to enlargement of extraocular muscles at the apex of orbit. Objective To assess peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness in GD and to correlate it with the severity of the disease. Patients and Methods This study was conducted on 40 eyes of 21 recently diagnosed GO patients (two patients were single eyed) recruited from Endocrinology clinic and examined at Ophthalmology clinic, Ain Shams University Hospital in the period from March 2018 to September 2018. Complete ophthalmologic examination, proptosis assessment of direction and degree, Visual Field (VF) examination, clinical activity score (CAS), severity score assessment and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) were performed to all patients . Results In the whole group of patients; the mean average pRNFL was 109.53 um ± 12.33 SD (range: 86 – 140), median MD was -4.53 (range:-0.66 to-18.95) and -8.04 ± -2.15 SD, mean PSD was 5.55 ± 3.8 SD (range: 1.11 to 12.73). Normal average pRNFL thickness (according to normative data base included in the OCT program) was found in 15 eyes (37.5%) and those had abnormal increase in thickness was 12 eyes (30%). Abnormal decrease in thickness was detected in 13 eyes (32.5%). Conclusion PRNFL thickness abnormalities were detected in 25 eyes (62%) of recently diagnosed GO patients. This might be associated with localized visual field defects. Regular follow up of intra ocular pressure (IOP), serial VF examinations, are required to decide further management of those patients, as OCT results were correlated with degree of eye protrusion and the severity of the disease (CAS and severity score).