Some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) develop a demylinating syndrome resembling multiple sclerosis. Whether this syndrome actually exists as a separate entity is a matter of debate and research.
Synonym: lupoid sclerosis
Clinical features:
(1) systemic lupus erythematosus with anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA)
(2) complex neurologic deficits associated with demyelination
(3) changes seen on MRI of the brain that resemble multiple sclerosis
(4) variable presence of antimyelin antbodies in the serum
Some patients have antiphospholipid antibodies. The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies has been associated with a multiple sclerosis-like syndrome (see Chapter 04).
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