Aims: To explore physical activity (PA) habits among the medical students and examine the correlation with their grade point average (GPA) achievement at College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical students (n = 409), during the academic year 2012–2013. Students’ physical activity habits were self-reported. GPA, body mass index (BMI) and body fat percent (BF%) were collected and analyzed with SPSS software. Results: Out of 409 students, 193 (47.2%) students reported being physically active. Our result showed a significant positive association between students’ PA habits and high-GPA achievement (χ²= 10.65, p = 0.001). The greatest odds ratio of high GPA was found among the fourth year students (OR = 3.08, CI: 1.15–8.28, p = 0.025) and fifth year students (OR = 5.07, CI: 1.48–17.31, p = 0.010). In addition, significant association was found between the normal BMI and high-GPA achievers (χ²= 8.30; p = 0.016). However, no statistically, significant association was found between BF% and GPA. Conclusions: The present study showed a positive associations was found between PA habits and high academic achievement. In addition, positive association was found between PA, obese students and GPA achievement. Therefore, there is a need for the establishment of physical activity education and public health programs to promote importance of PA in Saudi population.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes at King Khalid University Hospital in Saudi Arabia. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected health care systems across developing and developed countries. Therefore, it is important to understand its impact on various parameters of patient care as regards revised infrastructure and policies in hospitals during the pandemic. It is a retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 13-3–2020 to 26-4-2020 at King Khalid University Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes were the main outcome measures. 331 participants were included in the study (median age: 53 years; 70% female), and 223 completed the patient's satisfaction survey. 260 of the surgeries were non-oncolog cases (78.6%) compared to 71 oncology cases (21.4%). With respect to the surgical outcomes, 12% of the patients required admission to the ICU, and 10.9% developed postoperative complications, most of which were infectious complications. Only 1.8% (6 patients) were re-admitted to the hospital. Three patients died within 30 days post-op (0.9%), all had emergency surgery. Regarding patient satisfaction, 77.6% and 93% of the patients reported that nurses and doctors, respectively, treated them with courtesy and respect, listened to them carefully, and provided clear explanations to them. 90.3% were satisfied with the hospital sanitary measures. 64.1% stated that they got written instructions at the time of discharge. The satisfaction level of patients was high for all the studied domains, and there were a small number of complications with overall good surgical outcomes. That indicates that all the actions and policies that were implemented during the pandemic were proven beneficial for the patients. It is recommended to continue those measures until the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Participation in Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs is low in Saudi Arabia. Public awareness of CRC and knowledge of available screening tools are crucial for improving screening uptake. This study aimed to examine the level of awareness and knowledge of CRC among the Saudi population. A survey-based study was conducted on 1912 residents of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The survey comprised 20 questions; these concerned the definition of the colon and rectum; the function of the colon; the incidence, risk factors, symptoms, screening methods, prevention methods, and treatment methods for CRC; and the value of early detection of CRC. Of the 1912 participants who completed the survey, only 51.7% knew that the colon was the large intestine, while 57% knew that the rectum was the end of the large intestine. Colonoscopy was the preferred screening tool (72.8%). Most respondents believed early detection of CRC through colonoscopy is associated with high survival rates. However, 65.7% of the participants reported that they would not like to undergo a CRC screening. Higher education level was also associated with knowledge that CRC can develop asymptomatically, with postgraduates most likely to know this (P = 0.032). There is a lack of knowledge regarding CRC among certain demographic groups in Saudi Arabia, and education and screening programs should target populations with the most limited knowledge.

Colorectal cancer is ranked third among the most commonly diagnosed malignancies and fourth among the leading causes of cancer death in the world. However, only a few case reports are found in the literature regarding skin metastasis originating from rectal cancer, which usually shows widespread disease and poor prognosis. Approximately, 0.8% of the patients will have skin lesion as the first indication of a silent internal malignancy, which is rare. We report a complicated case of a 45-year-old male patient who referred to our highly specialized governmental hospital for diversion loop colostomy as well as biopsies of rectal and inguinal skin areas followed by palliative radiation therapy to the pelvis. Histopathological exam of rectal biopsies revealed moderately differentiated rectal adenocarcinoma, while the skin of the right inguinal area showed metastatic cutaneous rectal adenocarcinoma. Unfortunately, palliative radiation therapy was not started as the patient passed away secondary to respiratory failure which ended by cardiopulmonary arrest. A patient who is having new or evolving skin lesions with an oncology history should be well investigated as cutaneous metastasis is a strong possibility.

Introduction: Soft tissue tumors of Schwann cells in either the peripheral or cranial nerves are known as schwannomas or also as neurilemmomas. Limited data exists regarding psoas muscle schwannoma in the literature. Therefore, we have done an extensive literature review and found a total number of 46 cases of intra-psoas schwannoma including our case, which are summarized in this article along with reporting our new case. Presentation of case: We report a very rare case of primary left intra-psoas muscle schwannoma in a 39-year-old Saudi gentleman, smoker with an unremarkable medical and surgical history. The patient presented to the emergency department with exacerbated chronic lower abdominal pain since almost 2 years. After conforming the diagnosis, the patient was admitted electively and underwent uneventful laparoscopic hand-assisted resection. Discussion: Schwannomas are neurogenic tumors which known to be solitary, benign, well circumscribed, encapsulated, and slow-growing tumors. Multiple imaging modalities are used to detect such a tumor. Although there is no consensus on the best surgical approach, endoscopic mini-laparotomy, laparoscopy (anterior [as in our case] or lateral), and robotic resection were reported with good outcomes. Conclusion: Retroperitoneal schwannoma and intra-psoas muscle variant are a rare entity, with slow growing rate and risk of malignant transformation. Therefore, high index of suspicion, good follow-up, and large-cohort studies are encouraged. Highlights:

Background: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) syndrome has a near-100% lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. Early surveillance and prophylactic surgery have been advocated to reduce this risk. However, the surveillance practices among FAP individuals in Saudi Arabia are unknown. We aimed to explore surveillance compliance in our population, as well as the disease impact on their quality of life (QoL). Methods: All patients with FAP who underwent surgical resection at King Saud University Medical City between 2016 and 2022 were included. Demographic data, clinical features, family history, and compliance with surveillance were collected and analyzed. QoL questionnaires: Short-form health survey (SF-36) and European Organization for Research and Treatment (EORTC) were conducted by phone interview. Results: A total of 14 patients were included with an average age of 25 years. Three patients (21.4%) were the first of their family members to develop FAP. Nine patients (64%) were untested for genetic mutation due to lack of referral to geneticists. The compliance rate toward both pre-operative colonoscopy and upper endoscopy were 78%. However, 38% and 27% compliance rates were observed toward initial and post-operative colonoscopy, respectively. The compliance rate was 14% toward thyroid ultrasound. QoL scores varied among patients, with a mean score above 60 across all SF-36 domains. Conclusion: An overall poor compliance was observed among our participants, particularly toward thyroid ultrasound. Increased health awareness and patient education are essential. In addition, the importance of surveillance and genetic counseling should be emphasized among physicians treating these patients.