Layla S. Abdullah

Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus infections in healthy Saudi women attending gynecologic clinics in the western region of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major cause of cervical cancer. There is little published data on the prevalence of HPV infection among Saudi women. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV in a group of women in the western region of Saudi Arabia. DESIGN AND SETTING A prospective study of Saudi women seeking gynecologic care at King Abdulaziz University Hospital from March 2010 to January 2011. PATIENTS AND METHODS Four hundred eighty-five Saudi women of different age groups attending gynecology clinic were tested for high-risk HPV DNA. HPV DNA was detected in cervical scrapes using Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) high-risk HPV DNA test. The prevalence of HPV DNA positivity in different age groups was calculated. RESULTS Out of the 485 specimens, 27 (5.6%) were positive for the high-risk HPV. The highest percentage was among women aged 60 years and older. Patients in the age group 40–49 years were more likely to accept HPV testing with a total of 188 patients. CONCLUSION The prevalence of HPV in this group of Saudi women is similar to what was reported in some Arab countries and lower than that reported in developed countries. This information could be used to help in establishing a primary screening program using HPV DNA testing in Saudi Arabia.

Histopathological patterns of testicular biopsy in male infertility: A retrospective study from a tertiary care center in the western part of Saudi Arabia

Objective: To identify and categorize various pathological changes seen in testicular biopsies of males with infertility and to compare the results with data from other local and international studies. Materials and Methods: All testicular biopsies from males with infertility received by the Pathology Department of King AbdulAziz University Hospital, Jeddah, in the period from January 2004 until May 2010 are reviewed and histopathologically classified into seven categories as follows : Normal spermatogenesis, hypospermatogenesis, germ cell maturation arrest (GCMA), Sertoli cell only syndrome, seminiferous tubule hyalinization, mixed and discordant patterns. Results: One hundred testicular biopsies were identified in the computerized records of the Department of Pathology of King AbdulAziz University Hospital in the studied period. The age ranged from 22 to 70 years with a mean age of 24.5 years. The histopathological patterns were as follows: 14 (14%) cases were reported as normal spermatogenesis;(29, 29%) cases as hypospermatogesis; and 12 (12%) cases were reported as GCMA, mostly at the level of primary spermatocytes. The Sertoli cell only syndrome and the seminiferous tubule hyalinization categories were each reported in 16 cases (16%). Nine cases (9%) showed a mixed pattern. Discordant pattern was seen in 5 (5%) cases. Conclusion: Our study showed that hypospermatogenesis is the commonest pattern in testicular biopsies taken from males with infertility in our region. This study supports the recommendation of bilateral testicular biopsies when investigating male infertility.

Intratesticular borderline serous tumor

Abstract  Neoplasms resembling ovarian serous tumors rarely arise in the male genital organs. Müllerian histogenesis of this tumor has been suggested. We report a case of an intratesticular borderline serous tumor accidentally discovered during the course of a preoperative workup in a 72‐year‐old man admitted for left upper lobectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.

Replication of GWAS loci revealed the moderate effect of TNRC6B locus on susceptibility of Saudi women to develop uterine leiomyomas

Uterine leiomyomas (UL) are smooth muscular nodes, whose growth is dependant up on the complex interplay of hormones with genes and uterine physiology. Global statistics indicate the role of ethnic and racial background as contributory factors for UL development. Owing to the lack of data, this study aimed to examine the association between genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility of Arab women of developing UL.

Non-Correlating Pap Tests: Histological Follow-up of Abnormal Pap Tests Classified Using the 2001 Bethesda System@@@مسحات عنق الرحم غير المتطابقة : متابعة مسحات عنق الرحم الشاذة الصنفة بيثيسدا 2001 عن طريق فحص العينة المجهري

The purpose of this report is to study the correlation between abnormal cervical Pap smears reported using the revised 2001 Bethesda system and their corresponding cervical biopsies, in order to identify discrepant non-correlating positive smears and analyze the smear characteristics causing the discrepancy in those cases. All abnormal cervical smears results classified using the revised 2001 Bethesda system and their follow-up cervical biopsies were retrieved and correlated. The total number, percentage and smear characteristics of all non-correlating positive Pap smears are presented. One hundred and thirty seven (137) (85 positive and 52 atypical but not positive) abnormal smears had follow-up cervical biopsies. The 85 positive smears were further studied and an exact cyto-histological correspondence was seen in 58 (68.23%) out of the 85 positive smears, while 27 (31.7%) smears were discordant. Nine (10.58%) out of the 27 discordant cases revealed a more severe lesion on follow-up biopsy, 7 (8.23%) cases with a less severe lesion and 11 (12.94%) smears were falsely positive. This study shows that concordance rate of cervical Pap smears reported using the revised 2001 Bethesda system with their follow-up biopsies is moderate and increases with the rise of the cytological grade of dysplasia