Idiopathic intracranial hypertension as the initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus with chronic persistent intracranial hypertension: A case report

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to investigate the clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus with intracranial hypertension.

METHODS

The clinical characteristics of one case of systemic lupus erythematosus with chronic persistent intracranial hypertension were analyzed, and related literature was reviewed by searching Medline and Wanfang databases.

RESULTS

Intracranial hypertension in SLE patients may occur at the onset or during the course of the disease. Our patient was diagnosed with IH 3 years after the onset of SLE. Headache and papilledema were the most common symptoms of intracranial hypertension, followed by nausea or vomiting, vision changes, and cerebral palsy. Our patient had a headache and cranial hypertension that lasted for years, but no papilledema was found. Corticosteroid is currently the mainstay of the treatment of IIH in patients with SLE, and immunosuppressive agents, acetazolamide, intravenous mannitol and furosemide are also used. However, our patient did not respond to these treatments and presents the characteristics of chronic persistent intracranial hypertension.

CONCLUSION

Systemic lupus erythematosus with intracranial hypertension is a rare manifestation of SLE, which is not completely parallel to SLE activity. Headache and papilledema were the most common presenting symptoms. Different from previous reported cases, our patient had poor response to treatments, showing chronic and persistent characteristics.

Case Report: Rapid Progression of Cognitive Dysfunction as an Initial Feature of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Leukoencephalopathy: A Case Report and Literature Review

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) has been considered to have high morbidity and mortality. Thus, earlier recognition and treatment are of great importance. However, the rapid progression of cognitive dysfunction with leukoencephalopathy as an initial presentation in SLE is rarely described. We report a case in which an elderly man experienced rapidly progressive cognitive impairment with bilateral, symmetric, and diffuse leukoencephalopathy with lasting diffusion-weighted image hyperintensity. An immunological workup showed low complement levels and positivity for antinuclear antibody -speckle and Coombs tests in the patient's serum samples. He had an appropriate improvement in cognitive function after receiving a combination of various immunotherapies. Long-term follow-up showed clinical improvement, including rheumatological labs and neuroimaging. A review of the literature on NPSLE with leukoencephalopathy and a summary of all reported cases to date are also presented. Our case indicated that isolated leukoencephalopathy in NPSLE, as an indicator of severe NPSLE, can be recognized early. Immunotherapy is warranted given the possibility of clinical improvement.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension and Multiple Sclerosis

Unexplained elevated intracranial pressure occasionally develops in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Visual symptoms and signs are common to both conditions. An awareness of this association is particularly relevant due to the increased incidence of headache in MS and the frequent overlap of symptoms and signs in both conditions.

Anti-GAPDH Autoantibody Is Associated with Increased Disease Activity and Intracranial Pressure in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an immune disease characterized by multiorgan involvement. Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is one of the most devastating complications of SLE, which lacks efficient diagnostic biomarkers. The recent studies on the anti-GAPDH autoantibodies suggested its potential pathogenic roles in NPSLE. However, the clinical relevance of the anti-GAPDH autoantibodies in patients with SLE is still elusive. In this study, we sought to determine the serum levels of the anti-GAPDH autoantibodies in patients with SLE to investigate the clinical significance of the anti-GAPDH autoantibodies in SLE.

Methods

Concentrations of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase autoantibodies (anti-GAPDH autoantibodies) in the serum of 130 SLE patients and 55 healthy individuals were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Among the 130 SLE patients, 95 were SLE patients without neuropsychiatric symptoms and 35 had NPSLE. White blood cell (WBC) count, hemoglobin (HB), platelet count (PLT), IgG, IgA, IgM, anti-dsDNA, C3, C4, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), RF, anti-cardiolipin (Acl), ANA, AnuA, anti-SSA, anti-SSB, β2-GPI, urinalysis, and 24 h urine protein were measured by standard laboratory techniques. Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage index scores were evaluated accordingly.

Results

The serum levels of the anti-GAPDH autoantibodies were significantly elevated in the SLE patients, especially in the patients with NPSLE (P = 0.0011). Elevated serum anti-GAPDH was correlated with increased SLEDAI-2K (P = 0.017), ESR, IgG, and IgM and associated with increased intracranial pressure and incidence of cerebrovascular lesions, but it was protective for seizure disorder incidence.

Conclusions

Serum anti-GAPDH autoantibody was increased in both groups of SLE patients with or without neuropsychiatric symptoms and associated with disease severity. It could become an indicator of tissue damages in the brain for the future clinical practice.