Clinical aspects of malaria in the Asir Region, Saudi Arabia.

Three hundred and thirty-four cases of confirmed malaria seen in the Asir Central Hospital, Abha, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, were studied retrospectively. Two hundred and eighty-two of these (84.4%) were Saudis and the majority (72.

Lung resections in bronchiectasis due to lipoid pneumonia: a custom-design approach.

Objective: To see the effect of "custom-designed" surgical resection of some severely damaged parts of the lungs in children with bronchiectasis caused by forced feeding of children early in their lives with animal fat "ghee".

Design: All children with bronchiectasis--post lipoid pneumonia--who failed to respond to medical treatment had surgical removal of most affected parts of their lungs.

Settings: Asir Central Hospital Abha, a referral hospital in Asir region of Saudi Arabia and a Teaching Hospital for College of Medicine and Health Sciences, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.

The incidence of pemphigus in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.

Background: This is the first epidemiologic study of pemphigus in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Data were collected from patient records in the outpatient and inpatient departments of Asir Central Hospital during the period 1990-99. The diagnosis of pemphigus was based on the clinical, histopathologic, and direct immunofluorescence patterns which were consistent with pemphigus.

Enterocutaneous fistula.

Based on the modality of treatment, historically the management of enterocutaneous fistula has been grouped into three periods. The era of antibiotics (1945-1960), the era of intensive nurse care (1960-1970) and the era of intravenous hyperalimentation (1970-1975). Schein's modification of Sitges-Serra classification of enterocutaneous fistula is now preferred to the old classification of high-output type and low output type.

Operative treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children: a nine-year experience in a Saudi Arabian population.

This is a retrospective analysis of 56 children under the age of 16 years who had femoral shaft fractures and were treated at the Asir Central Hospital by open reduction and internal fixation. The age range was 5-16 years (average 10.8 years).

Peer review and refereeing in medicine and medical sciences.

Every academic scientist will come into contact with peer review process either as a reviewer of others work, or as an author whose work is being reviewed by others, or as an applicant for research grant. Historically, peer review process came at various times to various journals for a variety of reasons in haphazard manner. Many forms of criticisms have been made against the process of peer review, and some critics do not believe that the process prevents the publication of flawed articles and fraudulent research.

Meckel diverticulum revisited.

Nine cases of Meckel diverticulum seen over a period of four years are presented. Six presented with gangrene, perforation, intestinal obstruction, intraabdominal abscess and pain related to Meckel diverticulum. The remaining three were incidental findings.

Gallbladder stones analyzes, bile and wound cultures in cholelithiasis.

One hundred and fifty-two consecutive cases of cholelithiasis were studied. The gallbladder stones were analyzed to determine the constituents, the bile specimens were cultured and correlated with the cultures when wound infection occurred. Mixed gallstones were the commonest type (58.

Clinical features and surgical outcome of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

The clinical features and outcome of surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were studied retrospectively in Asir during the period between 1987 and 1993. Two hundred and fifty-three patients were included. The mean and median ages were both 70 years.

Pattern of primary gastrointestinal tract cancer in the southern province.

Two hundred thirty-four cases of primary gastrointestinal tract malignancy were diagnosed at the histopathology laboratory of Asir Central Hospital over a four-year period, from 1987 to 1990. The current study is a retrospective analysis of these cases regarding rank orders, distribution according to nationality, age and sex, primary sites affected and the histopathologic pattern. Eighty-eight percent of our cases were Saudi and 12% were non-Saudi nationals.

Pattern of cancer at Asir Central Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Six hundred ninety-seven histologically confirmed cases of cancer were seen in the three-year period, 1987 to 1989, at Asir Central Hospital in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Percentage (crude relative) frequencies of cancer at various sites were determined. The most common cancer sites among males were skin, liver, lymphoid tissue (i.