[Analysis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) involving the central nervous system by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)].
Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) commonly occurs in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). But definitive diagnosis remains difficult even with computed tomography (CT). In this study, we used the recently developed technique, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for CNS lupus and compared it with CT scans. CT was performed with a General Electric 8800 CT/T scanner. MRI was performed using a Mitsubishi Electric MMI-150 S. Ten patients with CNS lupus were divided into 3 groups. Group I included 4 cases with neurological manifestations alone. All lesions seen on CT were also detected by MRI, with greater clarity and extent. Furthermore, MRI depicted several microinfarcts in white matter without symptoms. Group II included 5 cases with psychiatric features alone. MRI detected a thalamic microinfarct in only one case while CT showed no abnormality in all cases. Group III included 1 case with both neurological and psychiatric symptoms. MRI demonstrated a small infarct of midbrain corresponding with neurological symptoms, more clearly than CT. Therefore MRI demonstrates the degree of brain involvement in SLE more accurately than CT.
K
K
Suzuki
M
M
Hara
S
S
Nakajima
T
T
Hirose
A
A
Kitani
K
K
Norioka
M
M
Harigai
M
M
Kawakami
H
H
Tabata
M
M
Kawagoe
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed