Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome: Report from India

Abstract

A decade ago primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS) had been rarely reported from India. Contrary to Western data, the reported occurrence of disease has been low. Even in dedicated clinics for rheumatic diseases, only about 0.5\% of all patients seen are diagnosed to have SS. However, in recent years larger dataset of SS has been presented. One of the notable differences was the earlier age at presentation, almost a decade earlier than reported. The occurrence of dry eyes, dry mouth, arthritis, skin manifestations, systemic features and presence of antibodies to Ro and La are similar to published series. Patients have been diagnosed when they present with delayed complications like renal tubular acidosis. It is recommended to go for biopsy of the minor salivary gland. It provides definitive proof while excluding diseases like tuberculosis, lymphoma, and sarcoidosis, which can mimic SS.