MRI diagnosis of neuropsychiatric lupus

SONG Xinying; MA Bing; WEN Feng; WANG Xiaoming

Abstract：Objective To research the manifestations , the predilection sites and distribution of neuropsychiatric lupus in mag-netic resonance imaging .Methods We retrospectively analyzed the imaging features of 69 SLE patients hospitalized in rheumato-logical ward of Shengjing hospital .They were divided into NPSLE group and non-NPSLE group and imaging manifestations , loca-tions and distributions were compared between the two groups .Results MRI imaging manifestations of SLE patients are various . They are multifocal cerebral white matter lesions , brain atrophy , large area infarction of the brain and cerebellum , encephalitis-like changes , brain stem infarction .Lesions are likely to occur in the white matter of frontal lobes and parietal lobes and the gray matter of insular lobes .Brain atrophy occurs in many young SLE patients .Conclusion Encephalitis-like changes and large area infarction of the cerebellum may be specific to NPSLE .SLE patients with brain lesions prefer to occur in the white matter of frontal lobes and parietal lobes and the gray matter of insular lobes .Brain atrophy in young SLE patients should be paid much more con-cern.