SPINAL-CORD INVOLVEMENT AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS - CLINICAL AND MAGNETIC-RESONANCE FINDINGS IN 5 PATIENTS

We report the clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and laborator y findings in 5 patients with clinical spinal cord involvement with an acute or subacute course; in two of the patients the myelitic episode preceded, in one it was concomitant to, and in two it followed the di agnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The marked clinical and MRI heterogeneity detected in our patients suggests that various fact ors may be implied in the pathogenesis of spinal cord involvement in S LE. The possibility of a future evolution to SLE should be kept in min d in women presenting spinal cord involvement with no other explanatio n, and should be assessed by means of extensive and repeated clinical and laboratory evaluations.