Sjogren syndrome
Sjogren disease is a chronic autoimmune condition causing ocular, oral and other mucosal dryness, with possible joint, skin, lung, renal, neurological and haematological involvement; persistent gland swelling or systemic features need specialist assessment because lymphoma risk is increased.
Definition
Sjogren disease is a chronic autoimmune condition characterised by dysfunction or destruction of lacrimal, salivary and other exocrine tissue, causing ocular, oral and other mucosal dryness. It may occur alone or alongside another connective-tissue disease and may include systemic inflammatory, pulmonary, renal, neurological, vascular or haematological manifestations.
First principles
Dryness is a clinical syndrome with many causes
Sjogren disease damages or dysfunctions lacrimal and salivary tissue, but dry eyes and dry mouth also arise from medicines, dehydration, mouth breathing, diabetes, thyroid disease, prior radiotherapy, infection and other autoimmune or infiltrative disorders. Diagnose in the context of symptoms, objective glandular testing, serology and specialist assessment; a positive antibody without compatible symptoms does not establish the disease.
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