Huntington Disease (Chorea) in the Middle East
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2009, Vol 9, Issue 1
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) has been reported in Arab families in several Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt and in non-Arab populations in other countries in the region. It is probably under-reported, and until now, has not been recorded in Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan or in Iraq. Te Middle East has always been on the crossroads of trade and travel, and HD was probably introduced to some of these countries in previous times. Te prevalence rate in Middle Eastern Arabs is estimated to vary from 3 to 4 per 00,000. Although the HD gene which codes for the protein huntingtin has been identified, the function of this protein is not known. At present, no treatment has been found to delay the onset of HD or to treat it effectively. Although relatively rare, HD has increasingly become a focus of international gene research, with the support and collaboration of the International Huntington Association (IHA). Te IHA has been represented in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Authors and Affiliations
Euan M Scrimgeour| Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Training and Research, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Australia
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP13849
- DOI -
- Views 344
- Downloads 15
The Ethics and Legality of Using Personal Smartphones to take Medical Photographs
ABSTRACT: Photography in the medical profession is an asset that may help during patients’ follow-up, monitoring the progression of diseases, getting a second opinion and in medical educational activities. Advances in te...
A Retrospective Study of Fungal Corneal Ulcers in the South Sharqiyah Region in Oman
To study the incidence, identify the risk factors and determine the predominant microorganisms and treatment regimen of fungal corneal ulcers. Methods: Tis was a retrospective analysis of corneal ulcers treated in the Op...
Re: Revisiting the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Omani Children: A multicentre study
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Non-Invasive Haemoglobin Estimation in Patients with Thalassaemia Major
Objectives: Tis study aimed to validate pulse CO-oximetry-based haemoglobin (Hb) estimation in children and adults with thalassaemia major (TM) and to determine the impact of different baseline variables on the accura...
Cushing’s Disease Pituitary Surgery versus Adrenalectomy
We describe two patients of the Department of Medicine at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, with Cushing’s disease. Teir magnetic resonance imaging scans of the pituitary were negative. One patient was...