10. Seizures
There are many causes of seizures, and it is difficult to determine whether or not they are caused by lupus. However, some patients affected by this disease start to experience seizures during the course of systemic lupus erythematosus. It is possible to develop generalized or partial seizures, which are probably secondary to an alteration in the brain’s microvasculature or caused by a metabolic change in lupus patients with kidney or liver failure.
Seizures in lupus can be the only neurologic manifestation or can be accompanied by others, such as stroke, encephalopathy, dementia, psychosis, and cognitive impairment. In either case, these complicated cases should be assessed by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, including rheumatologists and neurologists, to determine the cause and provide a successful treatment.