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Primary Sjögren's syndrome underdiagnosed in patients with dry eye syndrome
Cornea. 2009;28(5):493-497.
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Primary Sjögren's syndrome was found to be underdiagnosed in patients with dry eye syndrome, a study showed.
"A minor salivary gland biopsy might be required for a definitive diagnosis in a significant proportion of the patients with [Sjögren's syndrome]," the study authors said.
The retrospective case review included patients with a primary diagnosis of dry eye syndrome. The records of patients who had two or more visits to a single dry eye center between January 2004 and January 2006 were reviewed.
The review identified 220 patients with dry eye syndrome, including 57 patients with an underlying rheumatic condition, 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 24 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.
Data showed that eight of the 24 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (33.3%) had a diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome at presentation; 12 patients (50%) received a diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome at initial evaluation.
Of those 12 patients, eight (66.6%) tested positive for SSA (anti-Ro antibodies) or SSB (anti-La antibodies). Four of the 12 patients diagnosed with primary Sjögren's syndrome at initial evaluation required minor salivary gland biopsy to obtain a definitive diagnosis. An additional four patients also had to undergo minor salivary gland biopsy to confirm diagnosis, the authors said.