Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: correlation of brain MR imaging, CT, and SPECT

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients frequently present with neuropsychiatric symptoms. We conducted an imaging study with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, computed tomography (CT), and single photon emission CT (SPECT) in 23 patients with SLE, 13 with major neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSLE) and 10 without (non-NPSLE). The most frequent brain imaging findings were seen with MR imaging and were more prevalent in NPSLE: high signal intensity focal white matter lesions, infarcts in the cortex and pons, and basal ganglia lesions.