Aortic root thrombus causing stroke in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We report on a 24 year old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who presented with a cerebrovascular accident affecting her right side. Unusually, this was associated with an aortic root thrombus with absence of any commonly recognised thrombophilic features. Following removal of the thrombus and anticoagulation, she made a good recovery. The relationship between valvular problems and cerebral lesions in SLE is discussed.