1/137. Acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, secondary antiphospholipid syndrome and IgM monoclonal paraproteinaemia.In this case report, a woman is described who developed systemic lupus erythematosus at the age of 36 years affecting the central nervous system and kidneys, showing the serological evidence of an acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency, but also developing an antiphospholipid syndrome and IgM lambda type paraproteinemia. During the 25 years follow-up she did not show any signs of angioedema. Although the immunological abnormalities are still constantly present, the disease has been quiescent since the past three years. The possible pathophysiology of clinical and laboratory features are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/137. Periarticular calcification in systemic lupus erythematosus.OBJECTIVE: To describe the radiologic manifestations of periarticular calcification in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate clinical variables associated with its occurrence. methods: hand radiographs and clinical records of 52 patients who had 4 or more features of the 1982 revised criteria for classifying SLE and who had no other collagen vascular diseases were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Periarticular calcifications were found in 7 patients (13.5%) near the distal and proximal interphalangeal (DIP and PIP) joints and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints. No significant association with calcification was noted for the following variables: age at disease onset, duration of the disease, sex, the maximum value of the serum calcium, organic phosphate, and uric acid, Raynaud's phenomenon, lupus nephritis, femoral avascular necrosis, central nervous system lupus, proteinuria, or the use of drugs such as corticosteroids, synthetic vitamin d, and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. However, a significant association was noted with the use of furosemide (p < 0.01 by chi-square). In 5 patients periarticular calcification was observed during or just after hyperuricemia had developed while taking diuretics. CONCLUSION: Periarticular calcification in patients with SLE was seen in the DIP, PIP, and MCP joints, and appeared to be associated with the use of diuretics. If patients with SLE are prescribed a diuretic regimen, crystal associated arthritis should be considered as a possibility when diagnosing oligoarthritis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/137. Systemic lupus erythematosus-associated catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome occurring after typhoid fever: a possible role of Salmonella lipopolysaccharide in the occurrence of diffuse vasculopathy-coagulopathy.We report a case of well-documented typhoid fever in a 30-year-old woman with inactive systemic lupus erythematosus with asymptomatic lupus anticoagulant and high-titer anticardiolipin antibody (aCL). Despite prompt eradication of the salmonella typhi obtained with appropriate antibiotic therapy, multiple organ system dysfunction occurred. The central nervous system was involved, with ischemic infarcts in the occipital lobes. High-dose corticosteroid therapy failed to improve the neurologic manifestations, which responded to repeated plasmapheresis. A sharp fall in aCL and anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibody titers was recorded before the start of plasmapheresis. At the same time, IgM and IgG antibodies to Salmonella group O:9 lipopolysaccharide became detectable; the IgM antibodies disappeared within 4 months, whereas the IgG antibodies remained detectable during the next 13 months. Despite treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis developed, leading to chronic renal failure. There is convincing evidence of a link between the S. typhi infection and the ensuing catastrophic syndrome in this patient, probably precipitated by bacterial antigens.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/137. Diffuse central nervous system lupus involving white matter, basal ganglia, thalami and brainstem.We described an 11-year-old girl with acute central nervous system lupus showing diffuse lesions. She developed generalized convulsions followed by prolonged coma, and her psychomotor ability recovered fully after 3 months of steroid therapy. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high signal intensity in the cerebral deep white matter, bilateral basal ganglia, thalami, and brainstem on T2-weighted image. These lesions resolved over 1 month with residual atrophic change in the heads of the caudate nucleus on MRI. Acute SLE leukoencephalopathy may be recognized as a subtype of CNS lupus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/137. Laminar cortical necrosis in central nervous system lupus: sequential changes in MR images.A 44-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus developed central nervous system lupus presenting with headache, fever, cloudiness of consciousness, and psychotic symptoms. T1-weighted and proton MR images showed laminar high intensity lesions in the parietal and temporal cortex bilaterally. T2-weighted images of the lesions showed low signal intensity. Treatment with corticosteroids alleviated the clinical symptoms within 7 months. The low T2 and high T1 signal abnormalities disappeared in a year and in 5 years, respectively. The laminar cortical lesions on MR images were suggested to represent cortical necrosis associated with central nervous system lupus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/137. Systemic lupus erythematosus presenting with haemorrhagic manifestation.A 26-year-old female presented with an episode of severe mucus membrane bleeding. Investigations revealed prolonged prothrombin time (PT), and partial thromboplastin time (PTT), normal thrombin time (TT) and reptilase time, thrombocytopenia, a positive test for lupus anticoagulant (LA), as well as anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACL). A toxicology screen for toxic drugs and coumadin was negative. Coagulation factor assays revealed low levels for factor II and XII. Low level inhibitor to factor II was demonstrated. Patient had a negative VDRL test and positive anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA). The diagnosis of acquired hypoprothrombinaemia secondary to circulating inhibitor induced by LA was made, and then the patient was started on prednisone, which led to cessation of the bleeding and normalization of PT and PTT, as well as an increase of factor II and factor xii levels. A few months later, the patient developed arthralgia and alopecia, and antibodies against double-stranded dna were detected, and the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) was confirmed. The patient continued to have mild prolongation of PT and PTT while on a low dose of prednisone, but she had no bleeding symptoms. A computed tomography scan of the brain was carried out for unexplained central nervous system (CNS) symptoms, and it revealed mild hydrocephalus, which was thought to be part of the CNS manifestations of SLE. It was concluded that patients with SLE may present with haemostatic defects that are a result of either platelet-related causes (quantitative or qualitative) or coagulation factor deficiency secondary to circulating inhibitor, or both, in the absence of other features of SLE which may appear later.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/137. Choroidopathy of systemic lupus erythematosus.PURPOSE: To describe the ocular and systemic manifestations associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) choroidopathy. methods: Three new cases of choroidopathy in patients with active SLE were described. Twenty-five published cases of lupus choroidopathy were summarized. RESULTS: There have been 28 cases of lupus choroidopathy (47 involved eyes) that have been reported in the English literature since 1968, including the three current cases. Only two of the patients were male. The choroidopathy was bilateral in 19 patients (68%). All 28 patients (100%) had active systemic vascular disease at the onset of their choroidopathy; 18 (64%) had nephropathy and 10 (36%) had central nervous system (CNS) lupus vasculitis. All but one of the patients had a known diagnosis of SLE at the onset of choroidopathy. 30 of the 47 involved eyes had presenting visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 14 eyes showed improvement in visual acuity with therapy. 23 patients (82%) had resolution of their choroidopathy when their systemic disease was brought under control. Despite treatment, 4 of the 28 patients (14%) died from complications of SLE. CONCLUSIONS: Although less known than retinopathy, lupus choroidopathy may be more common than generally appreciated. It usually serves as a sensitive indicator of lupus activity. The presence of SLE choroidopathy is generally indicative of coexistent (although sometimes occult) nephropathy, CNS vasculitis, and other SLE visceral lesions. immunomodulation of the systemic disease can lead to improvement and resolution of the systemic vasculitis as well as the choroidopathy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/137. Nocardia infection of a joint prosthesis complicating systemic lupus erythematosus.The authors report the case of a 43-year-old woman suffering from severe systemic lupus erythematosus treated with long-term prednisone, who developed Nocardia nova infection on a hip prosthesis. sepsis occurred about two years after an episode of pulmonary nocardiosis with the same Nocardia species, that was successfully treated by 12 months of antibiotics. A good outcome of the joint infection was observed in response to antibiotics and removal of the prosthesis. Nocardiosis is a rare infection, acting as an opportunistic infection, facilitated in the present case by systemic lupus erythematosus and chronic corticosteroid therapy. nocardia infections mainly affect the lungs, skin and central nervous system; these last two sites are mostly due to haematogenous spread, a frequent event. Treatment is based on antibiotics, usually continued for 3-12 months, especially because of the risk of relapse. The imipenem-amikacin combination appears to be more effective than trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of Nocardia nova joint prosthesis infection also presenting as late septic spread of pulmonary nocardiosis, complicating corticosteroid-treated systemic lupus erythematosus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/137. hypertrichosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).We describe a 14-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) involving the skin, joints and central nervous system who developed hypertrichosis of the upper eyelashes. This clinical finding has been observed in immunocompromised patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), malnutrition, cancer or kala-azar. Although the pathogenic mechanism for this type of hypertrichosis is unknown, we believe the immunological defects seen in SLE may be responsible for such manifestation in our patient.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/137. Systemic lupus erythematosus and myoclonic epileptic manifestations.Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) frequently involves the central nervous system (CNS) and, in fact, epileptic manifestations may be one of the earliest symptoms of SLE. These early occurrences of epilepsy, however, can easily be misdiagnosed as indication of pure epileptic syndrome when the SLE diagnosis is still largely incomplete. We present a young girl who developed myoclonic photosensitive seizures at the onset of the illness, erroneously diagnosed as manifestation of a "pure" epileptic syndrome. Shortly after the onset of an anticonvulsant therapy (lamotrigine), there was a remarkable impairment of the general clinical condition: at that time a diagnosis of SLE was made and a specific treatment began. However, the seizures persisted and evolved toward status epilepticus which needed pentobarbitone therapy in an intensive care unit (ICU). After recovery, the girl gradually got better and during the 23 months of follow-up she received only corticosteroid therapy and did not experience seizures nor SLE relapses.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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