Objective: To investigate the characteristic manifestations of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) in clinical practice.
Methods: A total of 198 NPSLE cases from 1998 to 2003 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, were included. Their clinical manifestations and the results of accessory examination such as serology, lumbar puncture, head magnetic resonance imaging, and electroencephalogram were analyzed.
Results: The most frequent manifestations of the NPSLE included: headache, psychiatric disorder, seizure, stroke, and acute confusional state. Fifty-two patients took head magnic resonance imaging, and 34 of them showed abnormal, including stroke attack. Among 48 patients who only had a complaint of headache, the increase of intracranial pressure and cerebral spinal fluid protein was significantly higher than other NPSLE syndromes (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Diagnosis of NPSLE was mainly based on its clinical manifestations. Head magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral spinal fluid examination may be helpful. More specific accessory examinations require further development.