A 21-year-old woman suffering from bipolar affective disorder developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with characteristic laboratory findings, 18 months after starting carbamazepine maintenance treatment. SLE receded after withdrawal of carbamazepine and treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. Although both the spontaneous occurrence of SLE and the psychosis as a sign of CNS involvement of SLE cannot be excluded, SLE could be considered as an adverse effect of carbamazepine.