Characteristics of Epilepsy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients
Abstract number :
3.337
Submission category :
6. Cormorbidity (Somatic and Psychiatric)
Year :
2025
Submission ID :
164
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/8/2025 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Woojun Kim, MD, PhD – Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea
Jean Hee Kim, MD – Seran Hospital
Mi Yeon Yoon, MD – Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea
Rationale: Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent and serious neurological side effects of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our objectives were to examine the prevalence of epilepsy in a hospital-based SLE cohort and to investigate the characteristics of epilepsy in SLE patients.
Methods: Patients in a tertiary hospital who had seizures at or after receiving a diagnosis of SLE for six years (March 2019–February 2025) were enrolled retroactively. Patients who have been diagnosed with epilepsy in the past were not included. We looked over the medical records on the demographics, seizure kinds, electroencephalogram (EEG), and brain image results, The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), a global clinical index assessing SLE activity over the past 10 years, was retrieved from medical records.
Results: We found sixteen patients who had seizures at or after receiving a diagnosis of SLE. The patients were all female. When the seizures started, the average age was 34 years old (range 13–64 years), and when SLE was diagnosed, the average age was 27 years old (range 13–64 years). With a range of 0 to 40 years, the average time to seizure onset was 7.6 years. Among the patients evaluated, five presented with generalized tonic or tonic-clonic seizures. Three patients exhibited focal behavior arrest, two experienced seizures of unknown onset with motor features, and two had focal motor seizures. EEGs were recorded for thirteen patients. Of these, three showed focal epileptic activity, three exhibited diffuse anomalies, three had both focal and diffuse anomalies, and four had normal EEG findings. Fifteen patients were treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and of these, three have remained seizure-free for over five years.The mean recent SLEDAI score was 3.
Conclusions: Although there is no established consensus on the treatment of seizures in SLE, prompt characterization of seizure types is crucial for optimizing treatment outcomes in affected patients.
Funding: none
Cormorbidity (Somatic and Psychiatric)