Background: Screening for colon cancer aims at early detection and prompt treatment of the disease. Prior knowledge of the disease will contribute to increased participation. However, barriers to performing screening are not known. Methods: A survey using a questionnaire was presented to patients attending the Outpatient Department of a tertiary hospital in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia, to evaluate the background knowledge of colon cancer screening, the diagnostic methods used for that purpose, and the barriers that may resist the implementation of screening. Results: Six hundred and nineteen questionnaires were distributed. Completed questionnaires that were included in the final analysis numbered 321 (51.9%). Age and gender had no statistically significant association with increased awareness of screening options (p = 0.526 and p = 0.2). However, education played a significant role (p = 0.045). Among the group that agreed to undergo screening, there were 55.3% who were willing to undergo colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Contrary to that, among the group that did not agree to undergo screening, 77.4% of them would undergo radiological screening using barium enema and/or a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen. Conclusion: There is a deficiency of knowledge of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening influenced by an individual's level of education, yet unrelated to age or gender. The endoscopic modality was usually chosen by individuals who were aware of CRC screening. However, the fear of undergoing this investigation, for the same reason, would likely make them decide to choose less invasive testing, using barium enema or a CT of the abdomen.الوعي العام بفحوصات الكشف عن سرطان القولون بين عامة السكان دراسة من المنطقة الغربية في المملكة السعودية العربيةالملخصالأهداف: يهدف الكشف المبكر عن سرطان القولون إلى التعرف على المرض وعلاجه مبكرًا. وتسهم المعرفة المسبقة بالمرض في تحسين المشاركة في الفحص وزيادة فاعليته. ولكن العوائق التي تمنع مشاركة الناس في الفحص المبكر غير معلومة.الطريقة: أجريت استبانة للمرضى في قسم العيادات الخارجية بأحد المستشفيات المرجعية في المنطقة الغربية من المملكة العربية السعودية لتقييم معلوماتهم العامة حول الفحص المبكر عن سرطان القولون، وطرق التشخيص المستخدمة لهذا الغرض, وكذلك معرفة العوائق التي قد تمنعهم من المشاركة فيه. النتائج: وزعت 619 استبانة, ولم يتضمن التحليل النهائي سوى الاستبانات المكتملة بشكل يتوافق مع متطلبات البحث وعددها 312 (51,9%). لم يكن للعمر أو الجنس أي دلالة إحصائية مرتبطة بزيادة الوعي (p = 0.526 وp = 0.2)، وذلك بعكس المستوى التعليمي الذي أظهر ارتباطًا وثيقًا بزيادة الوعي والاهتمام بإجراء الفحص المبكر للقولون (p = 0.045). اتضح أنه من بين المجموعة التي وافقت على المشاركة في إجراء الفحص، أبدى 55,3 % استعدادهم لإجراء منظار القولون أو المستقيم. بينما أظهرت النتائج أن 77,4 % من المجموعة التي رفضت المشاركة في الفحص، يفضلون إجراء الفحص الإشعاعي باستخدام حقنة الباريوم و/أو التصوير المقطعي للبطن كوسيلة للفحص المبكر. خاتمة: يوجد نقص في الوعي والمعرفة العامة بفكرة الفحص المبكر لسرطان القولون والمستقيم، ويرتبط ذلك بالمستوى التعليمي ولكن لا صلة له بعاملي العمر أو الجنس. المعرفة المسبقة با...

Our study shows that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with IBS and these results seem to have therapeutic implications. Vitamin D supplementation could play a therapeutic role in the control of IBS.

Background/Aim:To identify the prevalence of gluten sensitivity in a healthy adult Saudi population within a low endemic area of celiac disease using IgA tissue transglutaminase antibody. The study was conducted as a prospective pilot study for Saudi attendees of a blood donation centre at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Patients and Methods:Individuals were invited to participate in the study and screened for gluten sensitivity using immunoglobulin A tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA TTG) along with serum IgA level. Descriptive data was presented and expressed as mean value; correlation between variables was estimated using Pearson correlation, and nonparametric data using Pearson rho correlation (level of P value <0.05 is considered to be statistically significant).Results:Two hundred and four individuals (122 males and 82 females, mean age 35 years) attending the blood donation centre were screened. Three individuals tested positive for IgA TTG showing normal IgA level (1 female and 2 males) with a 1.5% prevalence in the cohort.Conclusions:Positive celiac screening is present at a low prevalence rate in our adult population, in which the individuals’ age and their serum IgA levels are not associated with the positivity level. A study on a larger scale with the application of histologic confirmation of positive cases is needed.

Background. Soft esophageal bolus impaction is an emergency that requires skilled endoscopic removal if persistent obstructive symptoms do not resolve spontaneously after careful observation. Expedited care of these patients is crucial to avoid respiratory and mechanical complications. Other possible options for management include medical agents used to manage it prior to performing endoscopy if access to endoscopy was not available or declined by the patient. Aim. To review the available pharmacological and other nonmedicinal options and their mechanism of relief for soft esophageal impaction. Method. Pubmed, Medline and Ovid were used for search of MESH terms pertinent including “foreign body, esophageal, esophageal bolus and medical” for pharmacological and non medicinial agents used for management of esophageal soft bolus impaction as well as manual review of the cross-references. Results. Several agents were identified including Buscopan, Glucagon, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and papaveretum. Non medicinal agents are water, effervescent agents, and papain. No evidence was found to suggest preference or effectiveness of use of a certain pharmacological agent compared to others. Buscopan, Glucagon, benzodiazepines, and nitrates were studied extensively and may be used in selected patients with caution. Use of papain is obsolete in management of soft bolus impaction.

Rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata (RCDP) is a devastating medical condition for patients and their families. It is a rare peroxisomal autosomal recessive disorder. It was recognized clinically with skeletal abnormalities and intellectual disabilities mainly due to plasmalogen deficiency. Here, we report a case of a 16-day-old girl who was referred to King Abdulaziz Medical City Jeddah, Saudi Arabia because of dysmorphic features. Her growth parameters were below the 3rd centile with short proximal long bones and multiple joint contractures in the extremities. The radiographs showed rhizomelic and shortening of both humeri and femurs. Moreover, punctate ossification was identified in the upper spine, humeri around the shoulders, and femurs around the knees. We observed other classical features, and the genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis of RCDP type 3. Although RCDP is a rare condition, it is a distressing burden necessitating early diagnosis and a holistic approach for management.

Objective: Percutaneous cecostomy is a minimally invasive procedure that provides access to the colon for therapeutic interventions. This review aimed to update and summarize the existing information on the use and application of percutaneous endoscopic cecostomy in the field of therapeutic gastroenterology. Data Sources: A systematic review of the literature was performed without any restrictions on the year of publication from the date of inception in 1986 to January 2021. Methods: The review was performed using the medical subject heading keywords in the following search engines: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. Results: A total of 29 articles were subjected to final data extraction. The review included a total of 174 patients who underwent percutaneous cecostomy. Most of the included studies were conducted in the United States ( n = 14). The most common comorbidity was cancer ( n = 10) and the major indication for performing percutaneous cecostomy was colonic pseudo-obstruction or Ogilvie’s syndrome ( n = 15). The main technique for performing percutaneous cecostomy was endoscopy (17 studies), followed by fluoroscopy- (five studies), computed-tomography- (three studies), laparoscopy- (two studies), and ultrasound- (one study) guided procedures. The procedure was technically successful in 153 (88%) cases. The total cumulative rates of major and minor complications were 47.5%. These complications included tube malfunction, local wound site infections, and bleeding and rare complications of peritonitis and death. Conclusion: Percutaneous cecostomy is a safe and effective option for managing acute colonic pseudo-obstruction. It leads to durable symptom relief with low to minimal risk.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has evolved from a primary liver disorder to being proposed as a consequence of altered metabolic balance leading to a chronic, unpredictable course of hepatocyte injury, cell death, liver fibrosis, and, ultimately, cirrhosis. Biochemically, fatty liver is detected by abnormal liver function test results. Abdominal imaging of fatty liver is characterized by increased hepatic and renal echogenicity, and blurring of liver vasculature (Khov et al., 2014).

Objectives: To study the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) in Saudi patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with IBS treated at a private tertiary medical center in western Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2017. We used ROME 3 criteria with data from the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) depression scale, and International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) to assess the prevalence of psychosomatic illness. Statistical analysis of frequency and statistical correlation was performed using Chi-square. Results: The final analysis of 307 patients revealed a combined 425 diagnoses of psychosomatic illness, including diagnoses of headache in 104 patients (34%), migraine in 93 patients (30.5%), fibromyalgia in 169 patients (55%), and depression in 59 patients (19%). There was a statistically significant correlation between patients' ages and diagnoses of joint pain and migraines. Conclusion: Fibromyalgia and headache disorders were common in this cohort of Saudi patients with IBS. This coexistence of illness is partly explained by the functional nature of these illnesses. Collective efforts to provide multidisciplinary care is needed for these patients.