Características ultrassonográficas e clínicopatológicas de pacientes com Síndrome de Sjögren e sicca não-Sjögren atendidos no Hospital das Clínicas da UFMG

Abstract

The diagnosis of Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) is based on clinical, serological, and microscopic findings. Ultrasound (US) examination can reveal structural damage in major salivary glands, which can contribute to the diagnosis of SS. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the ultrasonographic characteristics of patients with SS (SS group) and patients with dry mouth who did not meet the current criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) for SS (non-SS sicca group). Additionally, we aimed to analyze the association of US images with clinical, serological, and microscopic parameters. For this purpose, 40 matched patients from the SS group (n=20) and non-SS sicca group (n=20) were recruited, and the parotid and submandibular glands were examined using the OMERACT method in B and color Doppler modes by a blinded examiner. The obtained images were classified as absent, mild, moderate, or severe, corresponding to scores 0, 1, 2, or 3, respectively. For statistical purposes, the data were dichotomized as absent or mild and moderate or severe. Characteristics such as unstimulated whole saliva flow rate (UWS), xerophthalmia, focus score (FS), as well as serology for antinuclear antibody (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-SSA/Ro, and anti-SSB/La were obtained from medical records or collected during the study. Comparative statistical analyses of the US evaluation, as well as the relationship of this evaluation with different characteristics, were performed. In the non-SS sicca group, there was a higher prevalence of salivary glands with no alteration or mild alteration when compared to the SS group, in which moderate or severe changes were more prevalent (p<0.05). In the color Doppler, the parotid gland in the non-SS sicca group showed more normal vascular flow or mild alteration compared to the SS group (p<0.05). The presence of xerophthalmia, positive anti-SSA/Ro, ANA, RF, and FS was more frequent in the SS group and in patients with moderate or severe changes in the B-mode US analysis (p<0.05). UWS did not differ between the groups or with the degree of gland alterations (p<0.05). The US characteristics of the parotid and submandibular glands using the OMERACT B-mode system allowed for differentiation between the SS and non-SS sicca groups. The results support the incorporation of US as a non-invasive complementary examination at the Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (HC/UFMG) and at other reference centers for the treatment of the disease, where the use of US has been underutilized.