Background and Objective : For treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), Plasma Kinetic loop Resection of the Prostate (PKRP) is an alternative to conventional monopolar transurethral resection of prostate (TURP). We compared outcomes with the two treatments in a randomized trial. Patients and Methods : Over a one-year period, we randomly assigned patients with an indication for surgery for BPH and who met inclusion criteria to treatment with either PKRP or TURP. We measured prostate volume by transrectal ultrasound, relief of bladder outlet obstruction, operative time, decline in serum sodium and hemoglobin, weight of resected prostatic chips, duration of catheterization and hospital stay. Patients were evaluated one month after discharge for obstructive symptoms. Complications were also recorded. Results : Of 102 patients enrolled, 51 underwent PKRP and 51 underwent TURP. Relief of obstructive symptoms and mean operative time showed no statistically significant difference. The PKRP group had a smaller decline in hemoglobin than the TURP group (0.6 g/dL vs 1.8 g/dL, P=.01), a lower reduction in serum sodium levels (1.03 mmol/L vs 5.01 mmol/L, P=.01), a shorter catheterization time (37.2 hours versus 57.7 hours, P=.03) and a shorter hospital stay (1.5 days versus 2.6 days, P=.02). One patient in the bipolar PKRP group needed recatheterization versus four patients in the TURP group.Conclusion : PKRP reduces morbidity with an outcome similar to conventional monopolar TURP in the treatment of BPH.

Background and Objective : Sarcoidosis is prevalent worldwide with significant heterogeneity across different ethnic groups. We aimed To describe the clinical characteristics and computed tomography findings among Arab patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Methods : A retrospective study of patient demographics, symptoms, co-morbid illness, sarcoidosis stage, treatment, pulmonary function and CT results. Results : Of 104 patients, most (77%) were 40 years of age or older at diagnosis, and females in this category (΃40 years ) significantly outnumbered male patients (69/104 (66.3%) vs. 35/104 (33.7%), P=.003). The most common complaints were dyspnea (76%), cough (72.1%) and weight loss (32.7%). The majority of patients displayed impairment in lung function parameters at presentation. However, significant impairment in forced vital capacity, percentage predicted (FVC%) (< 50%) was present in only 17% of patients. The most frequent CT finding was mediastinal lymph node enlargement in 49 patients (73.1%). Parenchymal abnormalities indicating lung fibrosis were noted in 31 patients (46.3%), and traction bronchiectasis was the most common (35.8%) fibrotic pattern detected on CT scans.Conclusion : At presentation, clinical manifestations of sarcoidosis among this sample of Arab patients were similar to reports from other nations. Further studies are needed to explore the effects of race and ethnicity on disease severity in the Middle East.

Unilateral diffuse or localized enlargement of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) is an event commonly seen in infancy, and is popularly known as ′sternocleidomastoid tumor′. The condition, which usually spontaneously resolves with or without physiotherapy, is due to a hematoma following a difficult labor. The muscle regains its elasticity and complete function. In some infants it resolves with fibromatous changes in the muscle leading to shortening, fibrosis and finally culminating in torticollis. We describe a case of idiopathic diffuse enlargement of unilateral SCM in a 12-year-old child without any functional compromise or torticollis. The histopathological and clinical characteristics differentiating it from more commonly described sternocleidomastoid tumor or fibromatosis coli are described. We believe this is the first case report of idiopathic hyperplasia of SCM.

Clinical and radiological liver diseases are uncommon in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report a 29-year-old female with SLE who presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, thrombocytopenia, elevated liver enzymes and multiple hypodense lesions in the liver on a computed tomography (CT) study that mimicked multiple liver abscesses. A liver biopsy showed mild chronic inflammation. Culture results were negative. With steroid therapy the patient improved clinically, the platelet count returned to the normal range and the multiple liver lesions disappeared radiologicaly. This patient represents a rare case of SLE that had hepatic vasculitis mimicking multiple liver abscesses.

Background and Objective : Data on infective endocarditis prevalence, epidemiology and etiology from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region are sparse. We undertook this study to describe the pattern and the causative agents of endocarditis at a hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods : We conducted a retrospective analysis of all reported endocarditis cases at the Dhahran Health Center from January 1995 to December 2008. Results : Of the 83 cases of endocarditis, 54 (65%) were definite endocarditis and the remaining 29 (35%) were possible endocarditis based on the Duke criteria. Patients with definite endocarditis included 39 males and 15 females (ratio of 2.6:1) with a mean age (SD) of 59.7 (18.2) years. Of the definite endocarditis cases, native valve endocarditis occurred in 44 (81.5%) cases of and prosthetic valve endocarditis was observed in 10 (18.5%). The most commonly involved valves were mitral (n=24; 44.4%) and aortic (n=20; 39.2%). The most common organisms were S aureus (n=23; 42.6%), Enterococcus faecalis (n=12; 22.2%) and viridans streptococci (n=9; 16.7%). Surgical intervention was required in 17 (31.4%) cases and the in-hospital mortality rate was 29.4% (n=15). Of all the patients, 3 (5.5%) had embolic stroke as a complication. Conclusion : Native valve endocarditis is the predominant type of endocarditis. The patients were older adults and the most common organisms were S aureus, E faecalis and viridans streptococci.

Background and Objectives : Interruption of the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) is recommended in certain cases to prevent Pulmonary Embolism (PE). Reported data on the efficacy and rate of complications vary considerably. Patients and Methods : We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who had a temporary or permanent IVC filter inserted at our institution during the past 5 years. Results : Seventy-seven of 225 patients (34%) with Venous Thrombosis (VT) had an IVC filter inserted. Deep vein thrombosis and PE were the most common causes for anticoagulation. Bleeding was the reason for IVC filter insertion in 48 (62%). The only complication found was the breaking of a temporary filter during removal related to the procedure. However, 3 patients (out of 10) had a recurrence of VT after prolonged discontinuation of anticoagulation.Conclusions : Our criteria for indication of IVC filter insertion are in line with current standard of care. The immediate and delayed complications caused by IVC filter insertion was low. Active bleeding was the most common indication for filter insertion, whereas inherited thrombophilia was relatively common.

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare malignant neoplasm in the urinary bladder, which can histologically mimic lymphoma, poorly differentiated invasive transitional cell carcinoma or poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with a lymphoplasmacytic background. A urinary bladder tumor was identified in a 65-year-old man suffering from hematuria for several weeks. Transurethral biopsy revealed an undifferentiated tumor with prominent lymphocytes and plasma cell infiltration. Immunohistochemical evaluation showed positive staining for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen. Subsequent radical cystectomy showed pure LELC. We present the case to highlight the significance of recognizing this unusual bladder tumor and discuss the important differential diagnosis, treatment options and prognosis.

The ever expanding epidemic of end-stage heart failure represents one of the greatest challenges of modern cardiovascular medicine. With medical treatments hampered by significant limitations, physicians caring for patients with advanced heart disease have turned to cardiac transplantation and durable mechanical circulatory assist devices as definitive therapies. These advanced therapeutic modalities are not widely available outside the United States and Europe, but nevertheless offer enormous potential for patients in the Arab Gulf suffering from end-stage heart failure. This review will discuss the management of end-stage heart failure in the Gulf States, with an emphasis on therapies best utilized within a framework of regional cooperation and coordination.

Background and Objectives : Body mass index (BMI) is the most widely used measure to define obesity and predict its complications, such as diabetes and hypertension, but its accuracy and usefulness in Saudi subjects is unknown. This study aimed to assess the validity of standard BMI cut-point values in the Saudi population. Subjects and Methods : 197 681 adults participated in a cross-sectional study to detect diabetes and hypertension in the Saudi Eastern province in 2004/2005, with blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, height and weight measurements taken. Sensitivities, specificities, areas under the curves, predictive values, likelihood ratios, false positive, false negatives and total misclassification ratios were calculated for various BMI values determined from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The significance of the association between risk factors and BMI was assessed using regression analysis. Results : For the definition of overweight, ROC curve analysis suggested optimal BMI cut-offs of 28.50 to 29.50 in men and 30.50 to 31.50 in women, but the levels of sensitivity and specificity were too low to be of clinical value and the overall misclassification was unacceptably high across all the selected BMI values (>0.80). The relationship between BMI and the presence of diabetes and/or hypertension was not improved when a BMI of 25 was used. Using regression analyses, the odds ratios for hypertension and/or diabetes increased significantly from BMI values as low as 21-23 with no improvement in the diagnostic performance of BMI at these cutoffs. Conclusion : In Saudi population, there is an increased risk of diabetes and hypertension relative to BMI, starting at a BMI as low as 21 but overall there is no cutoff BMI level with high predictive value for the development of these chronic diseases, including the WHO definition of obesity at BMI of 30.

Mobius syndrome is a rare condition of unclear origin, characterized by a unilateral or bilateral congenital facial weakness with impairment of ocular abduction, which is frequently associated with limb anomalies . Poland described a condition in which there was unilateral absence of pectoralis major muscle and ipsilateral syndactyly. The combination of Poland-Mobius syndrome is rare, with an estimated prevalence 1:500 000. We describe a case of Poland-Mobius syndrome in association with congenital bilateral vocal fold immobility. To our knowldge, this is the first report of such an association between Poland-Mobius syndrome and congenital bilateral vocal fold immobility.

Background and Objectives : The prevalence of non diabetic renal disease (NDRD) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus varies widely depending on the selection criteria and the populations being studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the renal biopsies performed on type 2 diabetic patients for suspicion of NDRD and to correlate the pathological with the clinical and laboratory findings. Subjects and Methods : We selected and reviewed biopsies performed on type 2 diabetics for clinically suspected NDRD from January 2006 to December 2008 at a single hospital. Clinical and laboratory data were analyzed in relation to the histopathology findings. Patients were grouped into either group I with isolated DGS or group II with NDRD on top of DGS. Results : Thirty-one biopsies were performed on type 2 diabetic patients; Seventeen patients (54.8%) were males. Mean age was 50.68 (11.29) years. The mean duration of diabetes was 9.33 (3.6) years. Renal biopsy showed that among the studied group 14 patients (45.2%) showed NDRD on top of DGS. Crescentic glomerulonephritis was the commonest finding seen in 3 cases (21.4% of group II cases) followed by acute tubulointerstitial nephritis and hypertensive changes each was seen in 2 cases (14.4%). Other findings included IgA nephropathy, primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, rhabdomyolysis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis each of them was seen in one case (7.1%). Group I had a significantly higher level of proteinuria 4.97 (2.08) gm/24 hrs urine than group II 2.72 (1.09) gm/24 hrs urine (P=.003). There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, duration of diabetes, gender, presence of hypertension, hematuria, serum creatinine or glomerular filtration rate.Conclusion : The present study showed that crescentic glomerulonephritis is the commonest NDRD among diabetic patients. A higher level of proteinuria was reported among those with NDRD superimposed on DGS. So, Renal biopsy should be performed in diabetics when the clinical scenario is atypical.

Background and Objectives: The utility of anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) varies across different studies. We determined the diagnostic performance and predictive ability of anti-CCP for RA. Methods : We studied 201 patients with RA and compared them with 208 non-RA patients as controls. RA patients included in the study fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology revised criteria and patients with other diseases as well as those with undifferentiated arthritis (UIA) were used as controls. Anti-CCP was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) by the agglutination method. The optimal cutoff value and diagnostic accuracy were determined using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC).The sensitivity and specificity were determined by comparison of RA patients with non-RA controls. Results : The anti-CCP test was positive in 164 patients with RA for a sensitivity of 81.6%, specificity of 87.5%, and overall accuracy of 84.6%. The respective values for RF were 75.6%, 86.5% and 84.4%. The anti-CCP test discriminated RA from non-RA patients with high accuracy (AUC=0.889 [0.017] 95% CI, 0.856-0.952, P=.001), and predicted progression of UIA to RA with moderate accuracy (AUC=0.733 [0.069], 95% CI 0.60-0.87, P< .006) at a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 68.1%. Among 60 UIA patients, in 16 (26.7%) who differentiated to RA, the mean (standard deviation) for anti-CCP was significantly higher than in 24 (40%) patients who progressed to non-RA (134.8 [172] vs 46 [86] U/mL, P< .01). Conclusion : These findings indicate that anti-CCP yields higher sensitivity and overall accuracy, but slightly greater specificity than RF for diagnosis of RA. Anti-CCP positivity, particularly a higher level of serum antibody in patients with UIA, may be a predictor of subsequent RA.