Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with a distinct type and shape of cerebral white matter hyperintensities

OBJECTIVES: Advanced white matter hyperintensity (WMH) markers on brain MRI may help reveal underlying mechanisms and aid in the diagnosis of different phenotypes of SLE patients experiencing neuropsychiatric (NP) manifestations. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we included a clinically well-defined cohort of 155 patients consisting of 38 patients with NPSLE (26 inflammatory and 12 ischaemic phenotype) and 117 non-NPSLE patients. Differences in 3 T MRI WMH markers (volume, type and shape) were compared between patients with NPSLE and non-NPSLE and between patients with inflammatory and ischaemic NPSLE by linear and logistic regression analyses corrected for age, sex and intracranial volume. RESULTS: Compared with non-NPSLE [92% female; mean age 42 (13) years], patients with NPSLE [87% female; mean age 40 (14) years] showed a higher total WMH volume [B (95%-CI)]: 0.46 (0.0 7 ↔ 0.86); P = 0.021], a higher periventricular/confluent WMH volume [0.46 (0.0 6 ↔ 0.86); P = 0.024], a higher occurrence of periventricular with deep WMH type [0.32 (0.1 3 ↔ 0.77); P = 0.011], a higher number of deep WMH lesions [3.06 (1.2 1 ↔ 4.90); P = 0.001] and a more complex WMH shape [convexity: ‒0.07 (‒0.12 ↔ ‒0.02); P = 0.011, concavity index: 0.05 (0.0 1 ↔ 0.08); P = 0.007]. WMH shape was more complex in inflammatory NPSLE patients [89% female; mean age 39 (15) years] compared with patients with the ischaemic phenotype [83% female; mean age 41 (11) years] [concavity index: 0.08 (0.0 1 ↔ 0.15); P = 0.034]. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that patients with NPSLE showed a higher periventricular/confluent WMH volume and more complex shape of WMH compared with non-NPSLE patients. This finding was particularly significant in inflammatory NPLSE patients, suggesting different or more severe underlying pathophysiological abnormalities.