Lupus and the central nervous system
Symptoms include: Confusion and trouble concentrating (sometimes called lupus brain fog) Seizures (sudden, unusual movements or behavior) Stroke (blocked blood flow in the brain that causes brain cells to die)
Lupus can affect both the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system. Lupus may attack the nervous system via antibodies that bind to nerve cells or the blood vessels that feed them, or by interrupting the blood flow to nerves.
Conclusion. Neurological involvement in SLE is seen relatively early in the course of the disease with cognitive impairment being the most common manifestation and correlate with disease activity.
The kidney is the most commonly involved visceral organ in SLE. Although only approximately 50% of patients with SLE develop clinically evident renal disease, biopsy studies demonstrate some degree of renal involvement in almost all patients.
In general, a brain MRI will show more lesions with MS ("black holes and bright spots") but sometimes the brain lesions found with lupus or MS can be indistinguishable.
It can affect your joints, tendons, kidneys, and skin. It can affect blood vessels. And it can affect organs such as the heart, lungs, and brain. It can cause rashes, fatigue, pain, and fever.
A neurologist may be part of your team in order to address the nervous system manifestations of lupus.
Cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide is used for immunosuppression in cases of severe SLE organ involvement, especially severe CNS involvement, vasculitis, and lupus nephritis.
In MS, your own immune system attacks your nervous system by mistake and damages your nerves. In lupus, your immune system attacks healthy tissues like your skin, joints, kidneys, heart, or lungs. But it can also damage your nerves and brain. They're both more common in younger women.
People living with lupus may experience various types of headaches for different reasons. Some of these may include: Migraine: This is a type of moderate to severe headache that may feel like a throbbing pain on one side of the head.
NPSLE is often a serious manifestation of lupus. The symptoms of NPSLE can be highly variable, ranging from mild non-specific symptoms such as headaches, “brain fog” and mild mood disorders, to rare and severe presentations.
Tremor as an early manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Lupus can cause serious kidney damage, and kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death among people with lupus. Brain and central nervous system. If your brain is affected by lupus, you may experience headaches, dizziness, behavior changes, vision problems, and even strokes or seizures.
Lupus causes inflammation throughout the body, which can cause problems in organs, including: Kidney damage that can lead to changes in kidney function, including kidney failure. This is called lupus nephritis. Seizures and memory problems due to changes in the brain and central nervous system.
A 2018 review considered several case reports of people with both conditions. The researchers noted that this is a rare occurrence. Sometimes, lupus can cause the body to attack the nervous system. This can create symptoms similar to those of MS, and it may lead to a misdiagnosis.
The term 'lupus fog' is used by many people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). On patient fora and websites, confusion, difficulty planning, loss of concentration, difficulty in articulating thoughts, and memory impairment are symptoms described in the context of this fog.
The most common complement tests for lupus are CH50, C3 and C4. CH50 measures the overall function of complement in the blood. Low levels of C3 or C4 may indicate active lupus.
The effects lupus may have in and around the eyes include: changes in the skin around the eyelids, dry eyes, inflammation of the white outer layer of the eyeball, blood vessel changes in the retina, and damage to nerves controlling eye movement and affecting vision.
Lupus can slow the digestive process, and this can cause a wide variety of GI issues. Digestive problems may be the direct result of an attack by the immune system or from medications to treat lupus. These digestive difficulties include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.