Subacute cerebellar ataxia and atrophy developed in a young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus whose cerebrospinal fluid was positive for antineuronal cell antibody.

Subacute cerebellar ataxia in combination with cerebellar atrophy has rarely been reported as one of the manifestations of lupus in the central nervous system (CNS). We describe a 27-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed subacute cerebellar ataxia. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of her brain showed cerebellar atrophy in both hemispheres, particularly on the right side. Moreover, increased antineuronal cell antibody levels were detected in her cerebrospinal fluid. The cerebellar ataxia improved markedly following high-dose corticosteroid administration. This suggests that a relationship exists between autoantibodies and subacute atrophic processes in CNS lupus.