Intracranial Vessel Wall Enhancement for Assessing Disease Activity and Neuropsychiatric Impairment in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Motivation: To establish an intracranial vessel wall enhancement (VWE) scoring system in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and evaluate its potential as a neuroimaging biomarker for disease activity and neuropsychiatric impairment. Goal(s): To investigate the intracranial arterial VWE pattern and establish a VWE scoring system, analyzing its relationship with disease activity and neuropsychiatric impairment in SLE. Approach: A VWE scoring system for SLE patients was developed, and the relationship between VWE scores, disease activity, and cognitive function was examined. Results: High-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging can reliably assess intracranial vessel wall lesions associated with disease activity and neuropsychiatric impairment. Impact: Intracranial vessel wall enhancement scoring system could be easily used for physicians to assess disease activity and early detect neuropsychiatric impairment, thereby providing valuable insights for clinical diagnosis and evaluation in SLE patients.