Ultrasonographic predictors of thyroid cancer in Bethesda III and IV thyroid nodules.

Background: Bethesda III and IV thyroid nodules continue to be difficult to manage. Although molecular testing may assist in decision-making, it is expensive, not widely available, and not without pitfalls. The objective of this study is to assess whether certain thyroid ultrasonographic features may predict the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with Bethesda III and IV thyroid nodules and be used as additional decision-making tools to complement cytopathological results in deciding on diagnostic thyroidectomy.

The American Thyroid Association risk stratification and long-term outcomes of differentiated thyroid cancer: a 20-year follow-up of patients in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Studies have reported differing factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). We aimed to describe our 20 years of experience in the management of thyroid cancer (TC) and identify predictors of treatment outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of patients with TC seen in the Thyroid Center at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between the years 2000 and 2020.

Adoption of telemedicine care for osteoporotic patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience from a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of telemedicine care provided to osteoporotic patients in Saudi Arabia. Our results show that this service was effective and feasible, and patients had a good rate of satisfaction with it.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and feasibility of telemedicine care in osteoporotic patients during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Saudi Arabia compared to in-person patients, as well as their satisfaction with this service.

"Pre-Ramadan" telemedicine: Effect on fasting experience and glycemic control during ramadan in people with type 1 diabetes.

Objective: People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are advised to have a "pre-Ramadan" visit to receive the assessment and education needed to safely fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The COVID-19 lockdown has interrupted this standard of care in Muslim-majority countries where telemedicine is not well-established. Here, we examined the impact of virtual"pre-Ramadan" visits, as an alternative option to the traditional (in-person) visits, on fasting experience and glycemic control during Ramadan in people with T1D.

Optimal Timing of Thyroid Hormone Replacement During Ramadan Fasting: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Patients with Prior Total Thyroidectomy.

Fasting during Ramadan may be challenging for patients on levothyroxine (LT4), as the drug has a narrow therapeutic index and is administered on an empty stomach. The majority of Muslims who fast in Ramadan have two meals per day, iftar immediately after sunset and suhoor just before dawn. This study aimed at evaluating the impact of LT4 timing during Ramadan on thyrotropin (TSH) levels in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy to determine the best timing for intake and identify the predictors of TSH level changes.

A Novel Mutation in a Gene Causes Sclerosteosis in a Family of Mediterranean Origin.

: Sclerostin is an gene product that inhibits osteoblast activity and prevents excessive bone formation by antagonizing the Wnt signaling pathway. Sclerosteosis has been linked to loss of function mutations in the gene. It is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by craniotubular hyperostosis and can lead to fatal cerebellar herniation.

Predictors of use and improvement in glycemic indices after initiating continuous glucose monitoring in real world: Data from Saudi Arabia.

Background And Aims: To identify predictors of use and benefit from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: Predictors of CGM use and changes in glycemic indices and other clinical parameters after initiating intermittently-scanned CGMs were examined in 116 individuals with T1D living in Saudi Arabia. Participants were categorized based on frequency of CGM sensor scanning at month 6 into: Frequent users (≥10 scans/day) and infrequent users (<10 scans/day).

COVID-19 Precautionary Measures and Type 1 Diabetes Patients in Saudi Arabia.

Aim: To minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) enforced a nationwide lockdown. We aimed to explore whether the manner in which Saudi patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) manage their disease has changed during this unparalleled lockdown.

Methods: An online survey exploring the effect of lockdown on T1D outcomes was distributed among T1D patients residing in KSA during lockdown.

Radiofrequency Ablation as a Primary Therapy for Benign Functioning Insulinoma.

Objective: Insulinomas are rare, life-threatening pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Surgical removal continues to be the treatment of choice, yet it is associated with considerable risk of morbidity. Here, we describe our patient with insulinoma who was successfully treated with radiofrequency ablation.

Severe vitamin D deficiency is not related to SARS-CoV-2 infection but may increase mortality risk in hospitalized adults: a retrospective case-control study in an Arab Gulf country.

Purpose: As the world continues to cautiously navigate its way through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several breakthroughs in therapies and vaccines are currently being developed and scrutinized. Consequently, alternative therapies for severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prevention, such as vitamin D supplementation, while hypothetically promising, require substantial evidence from countries affected by COVID-19. The present retrospective case-control study aims to identify differences in vitamin D status and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients screened for SARS-CoV-2, and determine associations of vitamin D levels with increased COVID-19 risk and mortality.

The impact of a prolonged lockdown and use of telemedicine on glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

Background: To minimize the spread of Coronavirus Disease-2019, Saudi Arabia imposed a nationwide lockdown for over 6 weeks. We examined the impact of lockdown on glycemic control in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM); and assessed whether changes in glycemic control differ between those who attended a telemedicine visit during lockdown versus those who did not.

Materials And Methods: Flash CGM data from 101 individuals with T1D were retrospectively evaluated.

Rapid Implementation of a Diabetes Telemedicine Clinic During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak: Our Protocol, Experience, and Satisfaction Reports in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The importance of telemedicine in diabetes care became more evident during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as many people with diabetes, especially those in areas without well-established telemedicine, lost access to their health care providers (HCPs) during this pandemic.

Subjects And Methods: We describe a simplified protocol of a Diabetes Telemedicine Clinic that utilizes technological tools readily available to most people with diabetes and clinics around the world. We report the satisfaction of 145 patients and 14 HCPs who participated in the virtual clinic and 210 patients who attended the virtual educational sessions about "Diabetes and Ramadan.