RESUMO
In this paper we considered different models concerning the clinical expression of neuropsychiatric involvement in course of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These models describe pathological conditions as multifocal cerebropathy, transverse myelitis, peripheral neuropathy and panic attacks. We have chosen these cases as clinical example of different pathogenic mechanisms responsible of CNS-lupus, as hypercoagulation due to antiphospholipid syndrome, immune-complex vasculitis, complement-mediated autoantibody damage and antibody-induced cytotoxicity. The prevalence of neuropsychiatric manifestations in 122 SLE patients is also reported. Finally, the paper reports some guidelines about diagnostic and therapeutic behaviour in course of CNS-lupus.
