I-123 iofetamine SPECT scan in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with cognitive and other minor neuropsychiatric symptoms: a pilot study.

Accurate diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) lupus remains difficult, especially when the manifestations are of subtle cognitive and affective changes. This pilot study reports on the use of I-123 iofetamine single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) scans in 18 such patients with documented systemic lupus erythematosus. Eight of the 18 scans were abnormal (44%), four in a diffuse bi-temporo-parietal pattern previously noted only in Alzheimer's disease, and four with large focal deficits. Neither the existence of the abnormal scan nor the particular pattern of abnormality correlated with the results of other diagnostic tests. These preliminary results raise the possibility that SPECT scans may offer an additional valuable diagnostic instrument in CNS lupus, although further studies are necessary to delineate their precise role.