Thrombosis of a basilar perforator aneurysm associated with pontine infarction in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can affect multiple organ systems. Cerebral aneurysm formation is a rare central nervous system manifestation of SLE and tends to present as subarachnoid hemorrhage. Here, we report a 34-year-old woman with SLE complicated by a thrombosed aneurysm that had arose at the origin of a perforating artery, thereby causing obstruction of the artery and subsequent development of pontine infarction. Detailed examination of thin-slice CT and magnetic resonance imaging scans led to the correct diagnosis of uncommon cause of stroke.

Keywords

• Basilar perforator aneurysm
• Cerebral infarction
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• CNS lupus