Acute cerebellar ataxia of a patient with SLE.
We described a 28-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with digestive tract, skin and renal symptoms and afterwards developed acute cerebellar ataxia, a paresis of the right inferior rectus muscle, left abducens paralysis and left facial palsy which seemed to be consistent with a brainstem lesion visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This lesion disappeared within 9 days of corticosteroid treatment. It is suggested that this lesion is focal edema induced by acute changes in the blood brain barrier secondary to a vasculopathy. Other causes, including local infarction, are unlikely.
Yaginuma
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh General Hospital, 4-23-15 Koutou-bashi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Suenaga
M
M
Shiono
Y
Y
Sakamoto
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011239:Prednisolone