Publications by authors named "Maryam Alam"
Secukinumab is a fully human IgG1 antibody that selectively binds to and neutralizes the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-17A. Secukinumab is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for plaque psoriasis. There is a limited real-word evidence for dose optimisation of secukinumab based on clinical response.
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- Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic skin condition, and secukinumab has shown sustained effectiveness and good safety for treating moderate-to-severe HS, though its performance in previously treated patients is unclear.
- The study analyzes data from two phase III trials (SUNSHINE and SUNRISE) to assess how prior exposure to biologics influences the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in HS patients.
- Results showed that secukinumab was more effective than placebo at 16 weeks for both biologic-experienced and biologic-naïve patients, indicating it remains a viable treatment option regardless of prior biologic treatment.
Background: Topical treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD) used reactively often fail to achieve lasting disease control; many of these therapies are associated with safety concerns that limit long-term use. Crisaborole ointment, 2%, is a nonsteroidal phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor for the treatment of mild-to-moderate AD that has potential as a long-term maintenance therapy.
Objective: The aim was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of crisaborole once daily (QD) compared to vehicle QD as a maintenance therapy to reduce the incidence of flares in patients with AD who previously responded to crisaborole twice daily (BID).
Article Synopsis
- Real-world evidence is crucial for evaluating treatments after they are on the market, as data comparing adalimumab to traditional therapies for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis is currently insufficient.
- A study followed patients switching treatments from 2011 to 2016, assessing how well adalimumab worked compared to topical and traditional systemic agents over six months.
- Results indicated that adalimumab was more effective, with patients achieving better outcomes regarding disease activity, quality of life, and work productivity compared to those using traditional therapies.
A significant but less recognized cause of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) is atherosclerosis of the vertebrobasilar system, which accounts for 20% of ischemic strokes. Pathology of the vertebrobasilar system can present significant challenges in determining the course of treatment. Due to the complexity of the vertebrobasilar system, there is slight disagreement about how to approach patients with atherosclerotic pathology of the posterior circulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe nonoperative management of sylvian fissure dermoid/epidermoid cysts presents a risk that is difficult to quantify. With rupture, potentially fatal complications such as chemical meningitis, hydrocephalus, fever, seizure, or meningeal irritation may occur. In this paper, we present an asymptomatic case of such a cyst with imaging evidence of prior rupture, and we review the literature for the likelihood of future complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHashimoto's encephalitis (HE), also known as steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT), can be a debilitating manifestation of an autoimmune reaction against the thyroid that is often under-diagnosed primarily due to a lack of definitive diagnostic criteria. This is a case of a 52-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with HE after presenting with recurrent and severe psychosis in conjunction with paranoia and a thyroidopathy. Her symptoms are chronic, having first been documented as presenting 15 years prior and showing progressive exacerbation in both frequency and severity.
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