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Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders. A pooled analysis showed a global prevalence of 11.2%. Few studies looked at the prevalence of IBS in health care providers. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of IBS among board-certified physicians and surgeons. Methods Board-certified physicians and surgeons in Saudi Arabia were invited to complete a web-based survey. It included questions regarding participant demographics, specialty, practice type and hours worked per week. The Rome IV-validated questionnaire was used to identify subjects with IBS. The primary outcome of the study was the prevalence of IBS among physicians. Secondary outcomes included exploring the effect on IBS prevalence of age, gender, marital status, work hours, specialty, gastroenterology subspecialty and working in a public versus private hospital. Results The final analysis included 594 subjects, with 419 males and a median age of 41. The vast majority (86%) were married. Nearly 90% worked in a public hospital exclusively, and the median number of hours worked per week was 48. The overall prevalence of IBS was 16.3%. In a binary logistic regression model, age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.931, P < 0.0001), gender (OR = 0.504, P = 0.003) and work hours (OR = 2.397, P < 0.0001) significantly predicted the presence of IBS. Marital status and specialty did not predict IBS prevalence. Discussion This cross-sectional study shows that the prevalence of IBS among physicians in Saudi Arabia to be 16.3%. IBS was more common in females, those who worked longer hours and younger physicians. There was no association between practicing certain specialties and IBS. However, the lack of difference in our cohort may be attributed to the relatively small sample size from each specialty.

Background/Aim: Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have become the mainstay of treatment in moderate-to-severe cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Neutropenia has been reported in patients receiving TNFi for IBD and other diseases. In this study, we aimed to ascertain the relationship between the use of TNFi and the development of neutropenia in patients with IBD. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study including all adult patients with IBD receiving TNFi at a tertiary care center over an 11-year period. The primary outcome was the development of any neutropenic episode after starting a TNFi. For our secondary outcomes, we evaluated the impact of concomitant use of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) or an immunomodulator on the risk of developing neutropenia. Results: The final analysis included 281 patients. Of those included, 34.2% developed at least one episode of neutropenia while on a TNFi. The majority of these episodes (67.7%) were mild with ANC between 1000 and 1500/mm 3 . No significant difference was observed in the age, gender, agent used or type of IBD between those who developed neutropenia and those who did not. Concomitant use of azathioprine (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.26–4.28; P = 0.007) or 5-ASA (OR = 3.15, 95% CI: 1.55–6.39; P = 0.001) were significant independent predictors of developing neutropenia. Conclusions: In this study, mild neutropenia was common among patients with IBD on TNFi. Future prospective studies are required to further clarify the significance of neutropenia in patients with IBD receiving TNFi.

Introduction and importance Idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of the mesenteric veins (IMHMV) is a poorly understood disorder which poses a diagnostic challenge to clinicians and pathologists. Here we have described the case of a male patient with IMHMV along with a presumed history of ulcerative colitis for 1 year. Case presentation A 55-year-old male presented to the OPD with history of chronic abdominal pain. Clinical and radiological examination coupled with endoscopic findings resulted in the patient being wrongly diagnosed to be a case of ulcerative colitis and was managed accordingly. Throughout his multiple hospital visits following treatment for ulcerative colitis, the patient was persistently symptomatic. He presented with 10 days history of increasing abdominal pain and constipation following which he developed spontaneous colonic perforation for which he underwent exploratory laparotomy left colectomy and Hartman's procedure. The final pathology of the resected colon found to be consistent of Idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of the mesenteric veins and ischemic bowel changes. Clinical discussion The absence of clear-cut endoscopic biopsy findings of ulcerative colitis made radiological picture to be the mainstay for diagnosis, which was inaccurate and exposed the patient to unnecessary treatment with immuno-modulators thus resulting in poor response to treatment. As the disease progressed, further narrowing of the vessels made the clinical picture to look closer to ischemic bowel pathology as the patient developed a top surgical emergency (i.e. bowel perforation). Such pathological finding (IMHMV) can only be diagnosed in a fully prepared tissue histology, but rather be considered when no other consistent alternative diagnosis was found. Conclusion The treating physicians must definitely consider the possibility of idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of mesenteric veins when similar manifestations are encountered in biopsy specimens of old cases with suspected inflammatory bowel disease or non-occlusive ischemia of the distal colorectum.

Methotrexate is an antineoplastic agent that is also used at lower doses for anti-inflammatory properties. Along with thiopurines (azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine), it has historically been an important part of pharmacological treatment for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Despite an increase in therapeutic options, these immunomodulators continue to play important roles in the management of inflammatory bowel disease, used either as a monotherapy in mild to moderate cases or in combination with monoclonal antibodies to prevent immunogenicity and maintain efficacy. In light of data linking the use of thiopurines with the risk of malignancies, methotrexate has regained attention as a potential alternative. In this article, we review data on the pharmacology, safety, and efficacy of methotrexate and discuss options for the positioning of methotrexate alone, or in combination, in therapeutic algorithms for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor (anti-TNF) agents are the backbone treatment of moderate to severe cases of inflammatory bowel disease. One of the main drawbacks of these agents is the high cost. The introduction of biosimilar products to anti-TNF agents is expected to lower the cost. Health care providers ought to be aware of the available data that addresses the safety and efficacy of biosimilars in IBD patients. This article outlines the current evidence-based data regarding the available biosimilar products, their safety, efficacy and how to deal with patients' concerns.