Autoimmune Diseases Associated with Epilepsy

Abstract

Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) during the course of systemic autoimmune diseases is not rare. Connective tissue disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, Behcet's disease; granulomatous disorders such as sarcoidosis, granulomatous angitis; autoimmune bowel disorders such as inflammatory bowel and Celiac diseases; thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto and Graves diseases are best examples of the autoimmune diseases in this category. Epileptic seizures may be observed in patients with and without any obvious lesions in these disorders. In this review, we will summarize patterns of neurological involvement in systemic autoimmune diseases associated with epilepsy.