Large Intracranial Arteritis with Giant Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Excerpt

Neuropsychiatric manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus have been reported extensively, but the central nervous system pathology has rarely been documented (1, 2). We studied the case of a patient who died with arteritis and occlusion of the left middle and posterior cerebral arteries. An arteritis with giant cells has not been described previously in systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 29-year-old woman had had systemic lupus erythematosus for 3 years with Raynaud's phenomenon; mouth ulcers; polyarthritis; serositis; and diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis. Tests for antinuclear antibody, anti-double-stranded DNA, and Sm antigen were positive. Recurrent flares were associated with headaches. Diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis with