Sjögren’s Syndrome: Is it Just Dryness?

INTRODUCTION: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is the most common autoimmune, multisystemic rheumatic disease. The wide spectrum of the signs and symptoms of SS often causes difficulties in diagnosis. Patients can apply with different complaints to general practitioners and many different specialists, apart from internists and ophthalmologists, who frequently encounter the disease. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the initial complaints of the patients who have been diagnosed with SS.
METHODS: Sixty-six patients who were diagnosed with primary SS according to 2012 or 2016 classification criteria were included in the study. The clinical and laboratory features were retrospectively evaluated.
RESULTS: The female/male ratio was 60/6. The initial complaint of most patients (n: 34) was arthralgia or arthritis (51.51%). ANA was positive in 56 patients (84.84%), RF in 19 (28.78%), but not evaluated in 7 (10.6%), anti-SS-A in 29 (43.93%), and anti-SS-B in 16 (24.24%). Sixty-three patients had a positive Schirmer test. Minor salivary gland biopsy was obtained in 42 patients, and 28 had biopsy findings consistent with SS.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: SS is a common disease with a wide variety of clinical presentations. A detailed evaluation of patients is necessary to provide an accurate diagnosis and proper care.