Longitudinal analysis of gray and white matter loss in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Cerebral atrophy has been described to occur in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with variable frequency. The aim of this study was to determine white and gray matter abnormalities in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with SLE and to determine if these abnormalities progress over a one-year period. Seventy-five patients with SLE and 44 healthy age and sex-matched controls were enrolled in this study.