Mouth and eye symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis may be Sjögren’s syndrome

People with rheumatoid arthritis who experience symptoms in the eye and mouth may actually have secondary Sjögren’s syndrome, experts report. And as such they should be investigated by having a salivary biopsy.
The research team looked at 46 people with rheumatoid arthritis, 20 people with rheumatoid arthritis and secondary Sjögren’s syndrome 52 healthy people. The majority of the participants were women.
A wide range of biopsies and tests were carried out.
It was found that secondary Sjögren’s syndrome seems to be a cluster of oral and ocular symptoms among people with rheumatoid arthritis.
“Secondary Sjögren’s syndrome is a distinctive condition among rheumatoid arthritis individuals,” the research team concludes. “Diagnosis should rely on clinical and minor salivary gland features since serological markers of rheumatoid arthritis are not discriminatory for secondary Sjögren’s syndrome.”

Click here to read the original research.

Subscribe to Arthritis Digest, the UK’s fastest growing arthritis magazine for all the latest arthritis news, reviews and celebrity interviews. You’ll know what your doctor is talking about, what new drugs are in the pipeline and be up to date on helpful products. Hard copy and digital versions both available. Click here for more information.

Image credit: Fabio