Publications by authors named "Ercan Arat"

Background: This preliminary retrospective cohort study investigates the potential additive prophylactic effect of erenumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that blocks the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor, in combination with ongoing onabotulinumtoxin A (onaBoNT-A) treatment in patients suffering from chronic migraine.

Methods: The study included 218 patients and investigated the effects of adding erenumab to the existing treatment regimen. The primary outcome was the MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment) score assessed 3 months after the introduction of erenumab.

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Background: Myasthenic crisis (MC) and disease exacerbation in myasthenia gravis (MG) are associated with significant lethality and continue to impose a high disease burden on affected patients. Therefore, we sought to determine potential predictors for MC and exacerbation as well as to identify factors affecting outcome.

Methods: We examined a retrospective, observational cohort study of patients diagnosed with MG between 2000 and 2021 with a mean follow-up of 62.

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Objective: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is the most common autoimmune disorder affecting the neuromuscular junction. However, evidence shaping treatment decisions, particularly for treatment-refractory cases, is sparse. Both rituximab and eculizumab may be considered as therapeutic options for refractory MG after insufficient symptom control by standard immunosuppressive therapies.

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Article Synopsis
  • Fingolimod (FTY) is a treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), but can cause severe lymphopenia, leading to the need to stop the therapy to prevent serious side effects.
  • Stopping FTY can result in a severe reactivation of the disease, characterized by tumefactive demyelinating lesions (TDLs), which are large lesions in the brain possibly caused by the influx of activated lymphocytes.
  • A case study of a 26-year-old woman demonstrated a major rebound of TDLs after stopping FTY, requiring multiple plasmapheresis treatments and subsequent use of ocrelizumab for long-term management.
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The Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis (Marburg MS) is the most aggressive form of MS, often leading to death soon after onset. Here we describe the case of a 26-year-old Marburg MS patient presenting with severe neurological deficits requiring intensive care. In spite of more than 100 gadolinium-enhancing MRI lesions, the patient recovered almost completely upon high-dose cyclophosphamide (HiCy) rescue treatment (four consecutive days with 50 mg/kg/day, cumulative absolute dose of 14 g).

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