neurological manifestations
Last reviewed 01/2018
Neurological involvement is reported in 25 to 75% of lupus patients (1).
- may affect any parts of the nervous system
- a study revealed that in patients with neurological symptoms, the incidence of elevated APL was approximately two times higher than in those without neurological manifestations (1)
Neurological manifestations may include a wide variety of lesions such as:
- peripheral neuropathy - including rarely, the Guillain Barre syndrome
- seizures - grand mal most common; other types rare
- movement disorders such as chorea and choreoathetosis
- impaired memory, perception, orientation and intellectual function
- severe headaches
- aseptic meningitis
- stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIA) - may be related to antiphospholipid antibody syndrome or vasculitis
- transverse myelitis with spastic paraparesis
- limbic encephalitis-type picture (1)
- psychological disturbance:
- particularly depression and anxiety
- particularly in recently diagnosed patients and those with disfiguring skin lesions
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