Etiology and Symptoms of Psychosis Caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Psychiatric disorders associated with systemic lupus erythematosus are the most common neuropsychiatric manifestations, including acute and chronic organic mental syndromes, functional psychiatric conditions, personality changes, and various neurotic symptoms. The incidence of psychiatric disorders is approximately 40%, and may present as: (1) disturbances in consciousness, such as drowsiness appearing early in the disease, gradually progressing to confusion and potentially culminating in coma; (2) hallucinations or delusional states, with auditory hallucinations being common and delusions primarily involving persecution and ideas of reference; (3) manic-depressive episodes, mostly presenting as mild mania accompanied by mild impairment of consciousness.