[Magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid examinations in a case of central nervous involvement of systemic lupus erythematosus].

A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a 7-month history of sensory disturbance of the bilateral lower extremities. Since she developed paraplegia of the extremities, urinary incontinence and left hemiplegia several days after admission, neurologic involvement both in the lumbar cord, and in the cervical cord or the brain was suspected. While no abnormalities were noted by computerized tomography of the brain. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly demonstrated foci in the periventricular and the basal ganglia regions bilaterally. Furthermore, the levels of immunoglobulin G and interleukin 6 were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). From physical and other laboratory findings in addition to the MRI and CSF findings, she was diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus with central nervous involvement. The administration of prednisolone resulted in marked improvement in her neurologic symptoms in two months. Thus, it is considered that the MRI and CSF examinations are useful for the diagnosis and treatment of central nervous involvement of systemic lupus erythematosus.