%0 Journal Article
%A González-Crespo, MR
%A Blanco, F.J
%A Mateo, I
%A López Pino, MA
%A Gómez-Reino, JJ
%A Ramos González, Ana
%A Ciruelos Gil, Eva María
%T Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The Brain In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
%D 1995
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/116654
%X Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is a sensitive method to detect parenchymal tissue lesions. Its value in thediagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) lupus is disputed. To address this question, we have conducted an open andprospective study in a population of 44 SLE patients. We investigated 24 patients (mean age 33 ± 13 yr) with past or active CNSlupus (group A) that included organic brain syndrome (12), migraine (8), focal neurological signs (7), seizures (2), myelopathy(1) and narcolepsy-cataplexy (1), and 20 patients (mean age 32 ± 12 yr) without CNS lupus (group B). Health controlscomprising nine females and one male aged 31 ± 9 yr were also studied for comparison (group C). MRI was performed usingsagittal Tl-weighted images, axial and coronal spin density, and T2-weighted images. All scans were read blindly. Thirteenpatients in group A and 10 in group B had well-identified lesions on sequences with long repetition time. Lesions were mostlymultiple, small, punctate areas of increased signal at periventricular or subcortical white matter of both cerebral hemispheres.The number and location of lesions were not significantly different in both groups. None of the group C patients had MRI lesions.The presence of lesions was significantly associated with age at study and disease duration, but not with the presence of CNSlupus. In summary, MRI abnormalities are detected in neurologically asymptomatic SLE patients. Whether this representssubclinical brain involvement remains unknown.
%~