Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an important microvascular consequence of long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and it can lead to blindness if not properly diagnosed and managed. Nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC) is a non-invasive technique for observing capillary microvasculature. Aim: We aimed to evaluate the nail folds capillaroscopic alterations in patients with T2DM by NVC and correlated the results to DR, and their relation to disease duration and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 62 cases with T2DM (as per the American Diabetes Association criteria). All patients were subjected to NVC and ophthalmological assessment. Results: NVC revealed that Patients with DR showed significantly higher frequencies of tortuous capillaries, branched capillaries and precapillary edema versus non-DR patients with P < .05. The DR patients with longer disease duration (15-20) years had significantly higher frequencies of branched capillaries, tortuous capillaries, microhemorrhages, and dilated apical capillaries. The frequency of tortuosity and precapillary edema were significantly higher in patients with poor glycemic control. The increased capillary width and branched capillaries were detected as predictors of DR in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: NVC is a cost-effective, quick, safe, simple, non-invasive, and newly emerging tool to assess the capillaroscopic alterations in diabetic patients as an indicator of severity of DR.

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Introduction: A review of studies examining the frequency of depression in schizophrenia found prevalence rates ranging from 7% to 75%. This wide range could be reasoned by the in proper selection of the instruments used for assessment. Objective: To answer a question; is there a relation between the used depression scale and the category of schizophrenia and/or depression. Aim: To compare Hamilton (HAMD) and Calgary (CDRS) depression scales in assessing depression in schizophrenia. Methods: 385 schizophrenic patients were recruited from Institute of Psychiatry Ain Shams University hospitals and asked to complete Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnosis section for schizophrenia and depression, socio-demographic sheet, medical history sheet, HAMD, CDRS, and Positive and negative Psychotic Symptoms Scale (PANSS). Results: Depression was found as; disorder (66.2% by HAMD and 39.2% by CDRS), no depression (18.2% by HAMD and 33.2% by CDRS) and symptoms (15.6% by HAMD and 27.5% by CDRS). Agreement of both scales in diagnosing depressive disorder is higher in chronic schizophrenia (62%) than in acute one (50%) and found mostly in continuous and remittent course. No significant correlation was found between CDRS and PANSS scores, while for HAMD, total score for depression was significantly correlated with all psychotic symptoms scores only in schizophrenic patients with depressive disorder. Conclusion: CDRS is more valid in classification of depression categories in schizophrenia than HAMD. It is more sensitive and specific instrument for assessing depression in schizophrenia than HAMD. However, HAMD may be suitable with acute schizophrenia and remittent course.

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Background: Down syndrome (DS) or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. When mothers of children with DS experience stress, they use certain strategies to cope with this stress to regulate their emotions. Aim of this study: to assess mother's coping among primary school child with DS. Design: A descriptive study design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at three special needs schools (ALtarbih ELfikria) at Fayoum governorate. Sample: A purposive sample was used, they were 95 mothers, and their children. Data collection tools: First tool structured interviewing questionnaire, to assess demographic characteristics of mothers, children, history of DS child, and to assess mother's knowledge about DS. Second tool: physical examination sheet for DS children. Third tool: mothers' coping scale. Fourth tool: mothers' needs scale. Results: The study results showed that, three fifths of mothers had negative coping patterns, in which more than two fifths of them never able to cope with their children disability also, study results reported that the economic needs were most important needs for mothers. Conclusion: More than two-thirds of mothers had unsatisfactory level of knowledge regarding of Down syndrome. Religious and doctrinal coping was the most coping strategy used by mothers, in which more than half of mothers were always able to cope religiously. Recommendation: Provide premarital counselling including necessitate investigation, insure proper antenatal care for pregnant women and provide educational program to parents with DS child and encourage them to participate in mentoring programs and receive rehabilitation services for their children.