The epidemiological characteristics of Crohn's disease among Saudi patients are comparable to those reported from other parts of the world. However the incidence of Crohn's disease in our hospital increased over the last 10 years. The anatomic distribution of the disease is different from other world institutions with less isolated colonic affection.

A serum bilirubin level of 84 micromol/L or greater is the best predictor of MBS. Older age, proximal biliary dilatation, higher levels of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, ALT and AST are all associated with MBS. ERCP is necessary to diagnose and treat benign and malignant biliary strictures.

In a non-teaching hospital setting, CPC is a common benign disorder that rarely requires specialized investigations and is easily treated once the causes are identified. The multiplicity of causes and extrapulmonary triggers of CPC, particularly RS, are often overlooked. The principal causes in our series remain the same as in studies elsewhere, namely RS, asthma and GERD.

Serum leptin can't be used as a non-invasive marker for the predication of steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Background: A large series of duodenal ulcer patients was examined in order to determine the prevalence rate of reflux esophagitis and compare it to that of a series of symptomatic controls, as well as to find out if complicated duodenal ulcer patients are at a higher risk of developing reflux esophagitis. Patients and Methods: All consecutive patients attending the Endoscopy unit between January and December 1996 who were found to have duodenal ulcers were prospectively recruited for this study. Consecutive patients with upper abdominal symptoms but negative gastroscopy for duodenal ulcers were used as a control. Patients known to have reflux esophagitis, those on peptic ulcer treatment for more than a week, those with dysphagia as a presenting symptom or underlying upper gastrointestinal malignancy, and patients who had undergone previous ulcer surgery were excluded from the study. A hundred and forty-one patients were found to have duodenal ulcer (Group I), and one hundred and seventy-two served as a control (Group II). The two groups were matched for age, NSAJD ingestion and smoking habit. However, Group I included significantly more patients with underlying co-morbid conditions and fewer females. Results: The prevalence of reflux esophagitis was similar between both groups, 30.5% vs. 38.4%, P=0.18. Furthermore, bleeding duodenal ulcer patients (sub-group III) were compared to non-bleeding duodenal ulcer patients (sub-group IV). Although Group III included significantly more smokers, NSAID ingestion and co-morbid conditions, there was no significant difference in the prevalence rate of reflux esophagitis, P=0.13. Moreover, 92.7% of afflicted patients suffer mild or moderate esophagitis. Conclusion: Endoscopic esophagitis is a frequent finding in both duodenal ulcer and control subjects.