With the purpose of analyzing the neurological involvement due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we evaluated 17 female patients who were seen regularly at the hospital and had been diagnosed as having SLE according to classification criteria proposed by the American College of Rheumatology revised in 1982, before the age of 16. Neurological involvement was detected in 12 patients (71%): headache (35%), extrapyramidal syndrome (35%), epileptic syndrome (24%) pyramidal syndrome (24%), peripheral neuropathy (12%) and optic neuritis (6%). The findings of CT scan (58%) and cerebrospinal fluid (50%) were most closely correlated to clinical neurological involvement.
juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus; neurological involvement