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Cerebral Lupus Erythematosus

Diagnosis and Rational Drug Treatment

  • Practical Therapeutics
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Summary

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and can be separated into primary events [neuropsychiatric lupus (NL)] resulting directly from immune-mediated injury to the CNS and secondary events resulting from disease in other organs and/or complications of therapy.

A vigorous search for secondary causes (especially infections) and documentation of the extent and nature of the underlying process are crucial in managing patients. Control of the acute neuropsychiatric manifestations with neuroactive drugs and suppression of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms with anti-inflammatory and/or immunosuppressive drugs or anticoagulants are the main goals of therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kidney Disease Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 3N112, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-1268, USA

    Nobuaki Hama & Dimitrios T. Boumpas

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  1. Nobuaki Hama
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  2. Dimitrios T. Boumpas
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Hama, N., Boumpas, D.T. Cerebral Lupus Erythematosus. CNS Drugs 3, 416–426 (1995). https://doi.org/10.2165/00023210-199503060-00002

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