Neuropsychiatric lupus.

Sixty-six systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients followed prospectively had 77 episodes of neuropsychiatric lupus (NPL). Patients with NPL had more SLE manifestations than patients without NPL. Serologic data and cerebrospinal fluid analysis were not helpful in identifying an episode of NPL. Electroencephalogram was abnormal in more than 1/2 and brain scans in more than 3/4 of patients. In 74 episodes with a known outcome, 54 improved, 44 having been treated with increased corticosteroids. Patients with NPL had a higher incidence of deaths compared to patients without NPL.