Reversible dementia in systemic lupus erythematosus without antiphospholipid antibodies or cerebral infarction.

Dementia is a very rare neurological manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and has a deep link with antiphospholipid antibodies (APL) and cerebral infarction in its development. However, nonvascular dementia irrelevant to APL or cerebral infarction has not been reported in patients with SLE until now. We describe a case of reversible dementia in an SLE patient without APL or cerebral infarction which was successfully treated with corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide. There are two significant points in this case. One is that humoral factors other than APL might be involved in the development of dementia. Secondly, reversible dementia without APL or cerebral infarction may respond more favorably to immunosuppressive therapy.