title: MRI and SPECT investigations of the CNS in SLE patients.
abstract: Twenty-two SLE patients were examined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). Multifocal areas of cerebral blood flow (CBF) defects were found in 81.8% of the patients. These alterations were present in patients with severe neurological disorders, in those with neuropsychiatric symptoms only, and also in asymptomatic cases. Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) were detected in all patients, but no correlation was found between serum aCL positivity and neurological involvement. The high incidence of cerebral blood flow disorders found in asymptomatic patients, and their poor correlation with the MRI alterations suggest a primary defect of CBF in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Allergologia e Immunologia Clinica, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Emmi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bramati
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: De Cristofaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascalchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dal Pozzo
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passaleva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000032:analysis; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin