NERVOUS-SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Nervous system involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The clinical manifestations consist of a diverse array of neurologic and psychiatric presentations. Primary involvement of the nervous system by SLE must be distinguished from secondary complications of the disease and its therapy, both of which may cause similar clinical presentations. The pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric (NP) SLE is incompletely understood, but has been linked to intracerebral microvascular damage and autoantibody mediated neuronal injury. The majority of patients respond to a combination of symptomatic and immunosuppressive therapy.