Objective:To identify the different subtypes of acute ischemic stroke, and estimate the frequency of various risk factors among these patients.Methods:In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, we reviewed the medical records of patients admitted with the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia from March 2008 till December 2015. The demographic characteristics, subtypes of stroke, risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease) and other relevant data were documented on pre-defined data sheets.Results:The records of 343 patients were included in the study; 64.4% were male and 35.6% were female. The mean age was 59.3+13.6 (mean+SD) years for males, and 66.8+14.9 years for females. Small vessel occlusion was the most common etiologic subtype of ischemic stroke (32.1%), followed by cardio embolic (21.9%), and large artery atherosclerosis (14.6%). The middle cerebral artery was the most commonly affected territory. Hypertension was found in 78.1%, diabetes mellitus in 62.7%, hyperlipidemia in 54.8%, and ischemic heart disease in 24.2% of patients.Conclusion:Small vessel occlusion was the most common etiology in our cohort. The onset of stroke at a relatively younger age group in the male population is of great concern and needs to be verified by further epidemiological studies. Adequate control of modifiable risk factors may help in reducing the disease burden caused by stroke.

No abstract

Context:Medication nonadherence is a significant barrier in achieving seizure freedom in patients with epilepsy. There is a deficiency of data about the reasons for nonadherence in Saudi population.Aims:The aim of this study is to prove the existence of nonadherence to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in patients with epilepsy and identify the responsible factors.Setting and Design:This is a prospective, cross-sectional study carried in the Department of Neurology at King Fahd Hospital of the University affiliated with Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University.Subjects and Methods:Patients of all ages diagnosed to have epilepsy as mentioned in their medical record and taking antiepileptic medications were interviewed using a questionnaire.Statistical Analysis Used:Statistical analysis was performed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Statistical significance was defined as two-tailed with a P ≤ 0.05.Results:Among 152 participants, 52.6% were male and 47.4% were female. Mean age of the patients was 28 ± 14.3 (mean ± standard deviation) years. Of 152 patients, 48.7% were found to be nonadherent to their AED therapy. The most commonly identified factor was forgetfulness. Nonadherence was significantly associated with poor seizure control (P = 0.002).Conclusion:Nonadherence to the AED is common among patients with epilepsy and affects seizure control adversely.

Background: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is an important etiologic subtype of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, little direct evidence is available regarding ICAD-related stroke in Saudi Arabia (SA). This study aimed to identify the prevalence and describe the clinico-radiological spectrum of ICAD-related AIS in a SA cohort.Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective study enrolling patients with ICAD-related AIS between 2017 and 2020. The electronic charts were reviewed. The mechanisms of stroke were identified as artery-to-artery embolization (AAE), in situ thrombotic occlusion, hypoperfusion, or perforator branch occlusion. Pearson's χ 2 test was performed to calculate the P values to establish the statistical significance of factors that could correlate with the mechanisms of stroke and functional outcome.Results: ICAD was found in 133 of AIS comprising 26% of total. Data from all patients were reviewed. Left ICA (25%) was the most frequently affected vessel. Territorial pattern (63.9%) was the most common infarct pattern, and AAE (44.3%) was the most common underlying mechanism. Perforator branch occlusion was more prevalent in women than in men. Malignant and hemorrhagic transformation (P = 0.00) were more prevalent in the AAE group. Left-sided vascular involvement was statistically associated with unfavorable outcomes than the right (P = 0.019). Conclusions:The prevalence of ICAD in our cohort from Western Asia did not differ from that in Southern Asia. ICA involvement was observed more frequently than previously reported. Further research from SA is required to better understand ICAD-related strokes in this region.

Introduction: B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a heterogenous disease that has diverse immature cell phenotypes early detection of high-risk groups. The aim of this study was to predictive scoring system using a fully standardized Euroflow eight-color panel. Methods:The expression of the different CD markers involved in the B-ALL Euroflow panel was investigated by measuring their positivity, percentage, and median fluorescence intensity. Results: CD9, CD123, and TdT were used to predict TCF3PBX1 with 80% SN and 100% SP. CD20 and CD66 were used to predict hypoploidy with 63% SN and 100% SP. As a result, no useful discriminative scoring system was developed. Conclusion: Four scoring systems were proposed for the prediction of the most common cytogenetic abnormalities of Saudi B-ALL