Spin‐spin relaxation of brain tissues in systemic lupus erythematosus

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Abstract
Objective. To correlate the spin‐spin relaxation time (T2) of brain tissue in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) with the patient's clinical condition.Methods. T2 values were determined in 54 SLE patients and 45 non‐SLE controls at 1.5 Tesla, using intensity from multi‐echo magnetic resonance (MR) images fitted to an exponential decay curve with rateconstant T2.Results. The T2 of white matter was increased in SLE patients compared with controls (P = 0.01) and was increased in those patients who had previously experienced major NPSLE. Patients with acute diffuse neurologic manifestations (seizures, psychosis, coma) demonstrated a longer T2 of the gray matter (mean ± SD 92.75 ± 6.35 ms, n = 10) than did other SLE patients (mean ± SD 79.61 ± 5.04 ms, n = 44) (P = 0.02 by t‐test), which suggests acute cerebral edema. The mean T2 values of reversible and nonreversible focal lesions were significantly different (P < 0.02), indicating different microenvironments and micropathology.Conclusion. Quantitative T2 measurement extends the utility and sensitivity of conventional MR imaging for evaluating NPSLE.

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