title: Fulminant leucocytoclastic brainstem vasculitis in a patient with otherwise indolent systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: The spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) vascular pathology in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) includes small vessel vasculopathy, thromboembolism, perivascular lymphocytic infiltration and, rarely, overt transmural vasculitis. We present the case of a patient, who experienced three CNS relapses over total disease duration of 26 years, with otherwise indolent disease. The first two relapses were suspicious of vasculitis and the last was proven at autopsy. The short duration between final relapse onset and death in this SLE CNS vasculitis case was, to our knowledge, unique. Histopathological investigation demonstrated multiple confluent areas of haemorrhage in the medulla due to an acute small vessel leucocytoclastic vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia. timothy.kleinig@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kleinig
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koszyca
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Blumbergs
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000098:blood supply*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D020293:Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D018366:Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis