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Cerebral Changes in SLE With or Without Antiphospholipid Syndrome. A Case‐Control MRI Study
Author(s) -
ValdésFerrer Sergio I.,
Vega Felipe,
CantúBrito Carlos,
CeballosCeballos Joel,
Estañol Bruno,
GarcíaRamos Gullermo,
Cabral Antonio R.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2007.00183.x
Subject(s) - medicine , leukoaraiosis , atrophy , antiphospholipid syndrome , cardiology , hyperintensity , gastroenterology , cerebral atrophy , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , thrombosis
BACKGROUND To determine and characterize the prevalence of cerebral changes on MRI in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) within systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).METHODS Seventy‐one patients with SLE were prospectively studied with brain MRI: 32 with definite APLS and 39 without. Atrophy, ventricular enlargement, leukoaraiosis, interuncal distance, Evans' index, infarcts, and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were analyzed. Demographic data, treatment, and SLE activity were analyzed.RESULTS Groups were similar in age (32.4 vs. 32.8 years old; P = non‐significant [NS]), and gender. Duration of disease was longer in patients with APLS (87.3 vs. 55.4 months; P = .064). Cortical atrophy was common in both groups (68.7% vs. 89.7%; P = NS). Leukoaraiosis was present in only 3 patients (9.4%; P = .08), all in the APLS group. WMH were found in more than 40% of the patients from both groups. Infarcts (21.9% vs. 2.6%; P = .019) and infarcts plus WHM (12.5% vs. 0; P = .037) were more common in patients with APLS.CONCLUSIONS Although a higher prevalence of neurological involvement in SLE has been reported in APLS patients, we found gross brain changes to be similar between groups. Strokes and leukoaraiosis were more common in the APLS group, consistent with the idea of an APLS‐induced prothrombotic state.