Benign glandular schwannoma

We report a case of a benign glandular schwannoma in a 63-year-old male who presented with a solitary subcutaneous mass on the left knee, with no previous history of neurofibromatosis type 1. This histological subtype is rare, with only 38 cases reported in the literature. Some of the glands found in this patient resembled sweat glands. These lining stromal spindle cells were positive for S-100 but negative for EMA. S100 was faintly staining the glandular elements. All the glands in the tumor were positive for EMA, particularly at the luminal borders. They were also positive for pancytokeratin. The cystic areas variably show intraluminal, foamy, and hemosiderin-laden macrophages. The different glands expressed two patterns. Some of these were reactive for CK7 and low molecular weight keratin. Immunohistochemical workup is mandatory to assess the neoplastic nature of this glandular component

Fatal case of a child harboring Enterobius vermicularis

Enterobius vermicularis is a threadlike parasite also known as “pinworms”. It is the most common helminth infection, affecting the gastrointestinal tracts of children worldwide, although it seldom causes any fatalities. Enterobius vermicularis infections are usually asymptomatic and may only cause anal pruritis, with occasional reported cases of ectopic migration into the appendix or the female genital tract by adult pinworms. Here, we report a case of a 15-year-old girl who presented to the emergency department with high-grade fever, vomiting, and vague abdominal pain for three days. She was diagnosed with acute abdominal pain and underwent emergency ileocecectomy, but died the following day. Pathological examination of ileocecal junction showed intraluminal and intramural Enterobius vermicularis, which were attributed as the cause of her death in the absence of any other pathologies. Death due to Enterobius vermicularis is rare; this case calls for clinicians to be vigilant in exploring Enterobius vermicularis infections in patients with undiagnosed acute abdominal pain, since it could be a potential cause of death

Assessing Mental Illness Referral Request Acceptance: A Nationwide E-Referral Data From Saudi Arabia

Abdullah A Alharbi,1 Nawfal A Aljerian,2– 4 Hani A Alghamdi,5 Meshary S Binhotan,4,6 Ali K Alsultan,2 Mohammed S Arafat,2 Abdulrahman Aldhabib,2 Ahmed I Aloqayli,2 Eid B Alwahbi,2 Ronnie D Horner7 1Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Medical Referrals Centre, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Emergency Medical Services Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 4King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 6Emergency Medical Services Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 7Health Services Research and Administration Department, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USACorrespondence: Meshary S Binhotan, Emergency Medical Services Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, 22490, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected] and Objective: Mental disorders significantly impact quality of life and life expectancy, representing a leading cause of global disease burden. Healthcare systems worldwide face challenges in meeting mental health service demands, particularly due to specialist shortages and geographical barriers. Saudi Arabia has implemented an innovative nationwide electronic referral system (SMARC) as part of its digital health transformation strategy to enhance mental healthcare accessibility. This study examined SMARC’s effectiveness in facilitating mental health service access by analyzing patient transfer acceptance rates between healthcare facilities and identifying factors influencing these rates.Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed 9722 mental health electronic referrals within SMARC from January 2020 to December 2021. Descriptive statistics characterized referral patterns, while bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with referral acceptance, calculating adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals.Results: The system achieved an overall acceptance rate of 82.5%, with different patterns across age groups and regions. Lower acceptance rates were observed for ages 15– 25 years (aOR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.70– 0.99) and 46– 65 years (aOR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.70– 0.99) compared to ages 26– 35 years. Life-saving referrals showed the highest acceptance (aOR = 2.60; 95% CI = 1.51– 4.48), while psychiatrist availability significantly influenced acceptance rates (aOR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.17– 1.58). External referrals were half as likely to be accepted as internal ones (aOR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.42– 0.64).Conclusion: SMARC demonstrates effectiveness in optimizing mental healthcare access through strategic matching of patient needs with available resources. The system’s selective acceptance patterns reflect its capability to prioritize care based on clinical urgency and resource availability. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to keep enhancing digital health infrastructure and mental healthcare delivery. The SMARC model offers a promising framework for implementing similar digital referral systems globally to improve mental healthcare coordination and accessibility.Keywords: mental health, psychiatry, referral systems, acceptance rates, health policy, Saudi Arabia, regional variation, Saudi Medical Referral Cente

External Vs Internal e-Referrals: Results from a Nationwide Epidemiological Study Utilizing Secondary Collected Data

Nawfal A Aljerian,1,2 Abdullah A Alharbi,3 Hani A Alghamdi,4 Meshary S Binhotan,5,6 Reem S AlOmar,7 Ali K Alsultan,1 Mohammed S Arafat,1 Abdulrahman Aldhabib,1 Mohammed K Alabdulaali1 1Medical Referrals Centre, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Emergency Medicine Department, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Family and Community Medicine Department, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Family and Community Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 5Emergency Medical Services Department, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 6King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Family and Community Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Hani A Alghamdi, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O Box 12372, Riyadh, 7065, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel +966507022266, Email [email protected]: E-referral systems, streamlining patient access to specialists, have gained global recognition yet lacked a comparative study between internal and external referrals in Saudi Arabia (KSA).Methods: This retrospective study utilized secondary data from the Saudi Medical Appointments and Referrals Centre system. The data covers 2020 and 2021, including socio-demographic data, referral characteristics, and specialties. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with external referrals.Results: Out of 645,425 e-referrals from more than 300 hospitals, 19.87% were external. The northern region led with 48.65%. Males were 55%, and those aged 25– 64 were 56.68% of referrals. Outpatient clinic referrals comprised 47%, while 61% of referrals were due to a lack of specialty services. Several significant determinants are associated with higher rates of external referral with (p-value < 0.001) and a 95% Confidence interval. Younger individuals under 25 exhibit higher referral rates than those aged 25– 64. Geographically, compared to the central region, in descending order, there were increasing trends of external referral in the northern, western, and southern regions, respectively (OR = 19.26, OR = 4.48, OR 3.63). External referrals for outpatient departments (OPD) and dialysis services were higher than for routine admissions (OR = 1.38, OR = 1.26). The rate of external referrals due to the lack of available equipment was more predominant than other causes. Furthermore, in descending order, external referrals for organ transplantation and oncology are more frequent than for medical specialties, respectively (OR = 9.39, OR = 4.50).Conclusion: The study reveals trends in e-referrals within the KSA, noting regional differences, demographic factors, and types of specialties regarding external referrals, benefiting the New Model of Care for the 2030 Vision. Findings suggest expanding virtual consultations to reduce external referrals. Strengthening primary care and preventive medicine could also decrease future referrals. Future studies should assess resource distribution, including infrastructure and workforce, to further inform healthcare strategy.Keywords: e-referrals, health policy, epidemiology, public healt

Integrating Metabolomics, Histopathology, and Cardiac Marker Analysis to Assess Valsartan&rsquo;s Efficacy in Mitigating Dasatinib-Induced Cardiac Toxicity in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Khalid Alhazzani,1 Hanan Mohammed,1 Mohammad M Algahtani,1 Khaldoon Aljerian,2 Ali Alhoshani,1 Homood M As Sobeai,1 Syed Rizwan Ahamad,3 Moureq R Alotaibi,1 Abdullah S Alhamed,1 Fawaz Alasmari,1 Mohammed Alqinyah,1 Hussain N Alhamami,1 Ahmed Z Alanazi1 1Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Ahmed Z Alanazi, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: Dasatinib (DASA) is associated with cardiotoxic effects, posing risks to patients. Valsartan (VAL) may offer protective benefits against these effects. This study evaluates the impact of DASA, VAL, and their combination on cardiac health.Methods: Wistar rats were treated with DASA, VAL, and a combination of VAL and DASA intraperitoneally every other day for 14 days. Body weight and survival rates were monitored. Serum levels of cardiac biomarkers (CPK, LDH, AST) were analyzed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses assessed myocardial architecture and apoptosis-related protein expression. Metabolomic profiling was conducted using GC-MS to identify metabolic changes across treatment groups.Results: The DASA group experienced significant weight loss and a 50% mortality rate, while the combination group had no mortality. Cardiac biomarkers like CPK, LDH, and AST were elevated in the DASA group but significantly reduced in the VAL + DASA group. Histopathological examination showed significant myocardial injury in the DASA group, with improved cardiac tissue morphology in the combination group. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed altered expression of apoptosis-related proteins, including caspase-3 and BCL-2, with improved levels in the combination group compared to DASA alone. Metabolomic profiling identified significant metabolic shifts, with 15 metabolites differentiating the treatment groups, and the VAL + DASA group mitigated the metabolic disturbances caused by DASA.Conclusion: The study suggesting VAL’s potential therapeutic role in managing DASA-induced cardiac toxicity. The combination of VAL with DASA not only improved survival rates and reduced cardiac biomarker levels but also preserved myocardial architecture and normalized metabolic profiles. These findings highlight the importance of integrated approaches in evaluating drug efficacy and suggest VAL as a promising candidate for protecting cardiac function in preclinical models of DASA therapy.Keywords: cardiac toxicity, dasatinib, valsartan, metabolomics, histopatholog

Histopathological Findings in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Specimens from Patients with Obesity in Saudi Arabia

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a bariatric surgical procedure performed in patients with morbid obesity that provides the opportunity to review histopathological changes. The aim of this study was to characterize resected gastric specimens obtained from a Saudi patient population at a single center for a prospectively maintained database of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cases. The histopathological findings from all patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies at King Khalid University Hospital between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 602 cases reviewed, the majority (83.4% [n=502]) exhibited chronic gastritis, whereas 22.3% (n=134) involved Helicobacter pylori infections with active gastritis, 1% (n=6) had intestinal metaplasia, and one case (0.17%) revealed gastric adenocarcinoma. As the findings revealed conditions that are treatable, I highly recommend histological examinations of all sleeve gastrectomy specimens from a Saudi patient population