title: Marked inflammation in catastrophic longitudinal myelitis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Catastrophic longitudinal myelitis is an extremely rare neurologic manifestation of collagen vascular disease, described heretofore in 11 cases of SLE and 1 of Sjogren's Syndrome. This report documents markedly abnormal and worsening CSF findings on sequential CSF examinations over a period of three days (WBC >1500 cells/microL, >80% neutrophils, markedly elevated protein, and extremely low glucose levels) in the absence of infection. These abnormalities cleared rapidly with institution of immunosuppressive therapy so that a third CSF exam done within three days revealed almost complete normalization of CSF values. These findings suggest that in some cases of CLM a strong inflammatory component may be present, while in others, other pathogenic factors may predominate.
authors: Section of Rheumatology, Regions Hospital and University of Minnesota Medical School, MN, USA.
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Heinlein
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Gertner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009187:Myelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases; D014652:Vascular Diseases
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins