title: Identification of brain lesions in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus by magnetic resonance scanning.
abstract: Cranial magnetic resonance imaging in 28 systemic lupus erythematosus patients who had experienced 30 acute neuropsychiatric events showed focal brain lesions in 16 of 30 events (53%) and low brain volume (atrophy) in 20 of 30 events (67%). Definite focal lesions were significantly more frequent in patients with clinically localized neurologic deficits (8 of 8, 100%), or seizures (5 of 6, 83%) than in patients without such localizing signs (3 of 16, 19%). Many of these lesions were occult on intravenous contrast-enhanced x-ray computed tomography. In 2 patients, lesions in gray matter resolved within 2 or 3 weeks, in association with clinical improvement. Magnetic resonance imaging is an important technique for detecting the extent of brain injury in cerebral lupus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor 48109-0358.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McCune
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: MacGuire
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aisen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gebarski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed