This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Ultrasound of major salivary glands useful in diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Ultrasonography of the major salivary glands correlated with subjective oral and ocular findings along with autoimmune factors in primary Sjögren’s syndrome, according to study findings.
Researcher recruited 97 patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) from the department of rheumatology at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway. Of those patients, 82 were previously diagnosed and 15 were newly diagnosed according to American-European Consensus Group 2002 criteria.
Ultrasound diagnostics were performed on the parotid gland in longitudinal and cross-sectional planes and the submandibular gland in a longitudinal plane in each patient. Images were then evaluated by two investigators blinded to the clinical symptomatic status of each patient.
Sialometry, tear secretion, minor salivary gland inflammation, subjective patient fatigue and sicca symptoms were evaluated and analyzed in correlation with the ultrasound images.
Pathological changes in the glands were seen in 51 patients (52.6%), 43 of whom were previously diagnosed and eight were newly diagnosed. Changes found in ultrasound images tended to be more significant in younger patients who reported more subjective and objective symptoms, such as dry mouth, hyposalivation, reduced tear secretion and autoimmune antibodies against Ro/SSA and La/SSB, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts