[Clinical significance of electroencephalograph in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].

The electroencephalograms (EEGs) of 120 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), were evaluated with regard to clinical manifestations and laboratory findings. On the initial 120 records, abnormal EEGs were observed in 109 patients (90.8%). Epileptiform patterns were also observed in 33 patients (27.5%). Diffuse alpha wave, theta wave, and delta wave appeared to be unique findings of basic wave activity in EEGs of SLE patients. Paroxysmal abnormalities of spike and wave complex, spike, and sharp wave were frequently observed. These paroxysmal abnormalities appeared to be easily exaggerated by hyperventilation or sleep. Focal abnormal discharges were also observed. The incidence of abnormal EEGs of the patients with central nervous system involvement (CNS lupus), did not differ from that of non-CNS lupus i.e. 24/30 (80.0%) vs 82/93 (88.2%). On the other hand, regarding the severity of abnormal EEGs, CNS lupus manifested severer findings than those of non-CNS lupus. As to the EEG abnormality, female patients, younger patients less than 30 years old, flared patients, and patients receiving prednisolone more than 30 mg/day had severer EEG findings than those of each counterparts. The patients who had once manifested neuropsychiatric disorders and/or immunologic abnormalities (anti-deoxynucleic acid antibody, anti-DNA antibody), showed severe findings on EEG. Epileptiform patterns were frequently observed in patients receiving lower prednisolone doses (30 mg/day or less), although they did not correlate with disease activity. Patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans or aortitis syndrome, demonstrated only mild abnormalities on EEGs and they had not shown any epileptiform patterns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)