Light microscopy of dried saliva in the evaluation of xerostomia of the sicca syndrome. A preliminary report

Dried, freshly produced saliva from 21 patients with xerostomia related to the sicca syndrome [15 with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), 3 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and secondary Sjögren's syndrome (sSS), and 3 with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)]...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of rheumatology Vol. 19; no. 9; p. 1390
Main Authors Andonopoulos, A P, Tzanakakis, G N, Christophidou, M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Canada 01.09.1992
Subjects
Aged
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - pathology
Crystallization
Female
Humans
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - complications
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - pathology
Microscopy
Middle Aged
Saliva
Sjogren's Syndrome - complications
Sjogren's Syndrome - diagnosis
Sjogren's Syndrome - pathology
Xerostomia - complications
Xerostomia - diagnosis
Xerostomia - pathology
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Summary:Dried, freshly produced saliva from 21 patients with xerostomia related to the sicca syndrome [15 with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), 3 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and secondary Sjögren's syndrome (sSS), and 3 with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)] and 21 age and sex matched controls, was examined by light microscopy. A typical fern-like pattern was demonstrated by the crystallized mucus of the healthy individuals. In contrast, much thicker, shorter, irregular and densely arranged branches of crystallized mucus, sometimes giving a reindeer horn appearance, were observed in the patients' saliva. Given the lack of a reliable clinical measure for the objective evaluation of xerostomia, light salivary microscopy, simple and easy as it is, may fill this deficit, if its sensitivity and specificity are documented.
ISSN:0315-162X