Rationale and objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the range of findings at diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and central nervous system involvement.
Materials and methods: Diffusion-weighted MR images were reviewed in 20 patients with SLE and correlated with clinical symptoms and findings at computed tomography, conventional MR imaging, MR angiography, or conventional angiography.
Results: Diffusion-weighted MR imaging showed acute or subacute lesions in nine of 20 patients (45%). In the other 11, it showed no abnormal findings or chronic lesions. In four of the nine patients with lesions, diffusion-weighted imaging primarily showed hyperintense lesions with decreased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), which indicates acute or subacute infarcts. In four other patients, it primarily showed iso- or slightly hyperintense lesions with increased ADC, suggesting vasogenic edema. In two of these four patients, the findings were consistent with hypertensive encephalopathy. In the other two, small hyperintense foci on diffusion-weighted images with decreased ADC were seen within the vasogenic edema. These foci presumably represent microinfarcts associated with SLE vasculopathy. In the ninth patient, diffusion-weighted imaging showed a small linear hyperintense lesion with normal ADC in the left parietooccipital region.
Conclusion: Diffusion-weighted imaging shows primarily two patterns of acute or subacute parenchymal lesions in patients with SLE: acute or subacute infarction and vasogenic edema with or without microinfarcts.