What is CNS lupus?

Lupus of the central nervous system (CNS lupus) is one of the manifestations of the disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This is also called neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSle). In some patients with SLE, the affecting the nervous system is the main cause of loss of quality of life and death. CNS lupus often presents itself as cognitive dysfunction, especially affecting memory and reasoning. It can engage any place in the brain and spinal cord, so the presentation of this type of lupus may vary.

The main symptom of lupus CNS is cognitive dysfunction. Disabled patients often have difficulty in memory of things or are unable to think clearly or think. Other symptoms of lupus CNS include headaches, peripheral neuropathy, visual visual disorders and movement disorders. Several of them can experience autonomous neuropathy, which represents itself as flushing or spots of the skin without apparent environmental trigger. Others experience psychosis, aseptic or non -infectious meningitis, stroke, seizures, stupor and comaMa.

Although the basic pathogenesis SLE is the production of autoantibodies against the body cells, CNS lupus is caused by various mechanisms. It is proposed that inflammation of the blood vessels or vasculitis due to the deposition of immune mediators in the vascular chain may disrupt the brain supply. In addition, antiphospholipid antibodies can attack red blood cells, leading to the formation of a clot or thrombus in blood vessels, and these clots also endanger the blood blood supply. Some patients with lupus are present anti-neuronal antibodies that attack neurons. Inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and interferon-gama, may be increased, leading to inflammation that disrupts nervous function.

hormonal dysfunction, SLE and infection treatment due to suppression of the immune system Mohoutakes contribute to CNS dysfunction. It was assumed that CNS lupus affected only 25% of patients with SLE but in NovMore people were found to be influenced by diagnostic tools. It is believed that CNS lupus is actually present in many patients with lupus at a certain point in the course of the disease.

CNS lupus treatment includes anti -inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. High -dose oral or intravenous corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone and prednisone may be administered. Immunosuppressants or cytotoxic drugs such as cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and methotrexate may also be listed. For patients who have antiphospholipid syndrome or significant thrombosis, anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin may be administered. When the load of the serum antibody is increased to the point that medical therapy is not sufficient, the artificial removal of these antibodies may be performed by a process called plasmapheresis.