Author: Al-Hashimi, Ibtisam

Source: Women's Health, Volume 3, Number 1, January 2007 , pp. 107-122(16)

Publisher: Future Medicine

Abstract:

This article reviews current understanding of the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of Sjögren's syndrome. Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the exocrine glands with multiple nonexocrine features. It is found predominantly in middle-aged women but exists throughout the population. The diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome can be challenging because the cardinal sicca symptoms may be subclinical or attributed to other causes, such as medications or aging. Differential diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome can be confounded by the multiple exocrine manifestations in the mouth, eyes, ears, nose, skin, vagina, and respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, as well as seemingly unrelated nonexocrine involvement in the thyroid, liver, kidneys and the musculoskeletal, vascular and nervous systems. This article concludes that early diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome is crucial to prevent and/or minimize potentially life-threatening complications. Periodic follow-up of patients' status and collaboration between the primary-care physician and the rheumatologist, dentist, ophthalmologist and other specialists are indispensable.

Keywords: autoimmune disease; cevimeline; diagnosis; exocrinopathy; multisystem disorder; pilocarpine; salagen; salivary substitute; Sjögren's syndrome; treatment

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/17455057.3.1.107

Affiliations: 1: Baylor College of Dentistry, Salivary Dysfunction Clinic, Department of Periodontics, 3302 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246, USA and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Faculty of Surgery, Division of Oral Surgery, Dallas, TX, USA., E

Publication date: 2007-01-01

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• Women's Healthprovides a forum for specialists addressing those conditions that are unique to women or far more prevalent in women than in men. The journal focuses on current and emerging topics relating to the safe and effective management of therapy in women, taking into account issues such as key areas such as women's physiology and life-cycle hormonal changes, with all articles subject to rigorous peer review.
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