Distinctive cerebral small vessel disease patterns are associated with ischemic stroke in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) increases the risk of ischemic stroke (IS) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) through a unique interplay of cardiovascular and immune-mediated mechanisms. There is an unmet need of predictors of IS risk and of characterization of the distinctive features of CSVD in patients with SLE.

Objectives: To assess if CSVD is more extensive in patients with SLE and ischemic stroke (IS+) than in those without (IS-); to identify distinctive neuroimaging features of CSVD in patients with SLE.