Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
Volume 24, Issue 4 , Pages 218-222, April 2008

Tumor-like Cerebral Perivasculitis in a Pediatric Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

  • Ching-Hua Huang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Yuan's General Hospital, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chih-Hsing Hung

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence and reprint requests to: Dr Chih-Hsing Hung, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 100 Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yu-Te Chu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yi-Ming Hua

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Tri-service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 10 November 2006; accepted 9 July 2007.

Article Outline

Nervous system manifestations are present in up to 70% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The spectrum of clinical symptoms varies widely, from severe, life-threatening symptoms at presentation, such as transverse myelitis, to symptoms of more subtle and subclinical abnormalities of neurocognitive function. We report the case of a 14-year-old patient with SLE and lupus nephritis under regular steroid therapy, who had a sudden onset of consciousness change. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a huge mass lesion. After surgical decompression and corticosteroid pulse therapy, the patient's neurologic symptoms improved dramatically. Brain biopsy revealed perivasculitis of the brain with marked perivascular infiltration of eosinophils, macrophages, and neutrophils. Microhemorrhage was also evident. The patient recovered without obvious neurologic sequelae.

Key Words:  central nervous system , magnetic resonance imaging , systemic lupus erythematosus

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PII: S1607-551X(08)70121-9

doi:10.1016/S1607-551X(08)70121-9

Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
Volume 24, Issue 4 , Pages 218-222, April 2008

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