Imaging in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome

Martha S van Ginkel; Andor W J M Glaudemans; Bert van der Vegt; Esther Mossel; Frans G M Kroese; Hendrika Bootsma; Arjan Vissink

doi:10.3390/jcm9082492

Imaging in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome

J Clin Med. 2020 Aug 3;9(8):2492. doi: 10.3390/jcm9082492.

Authors

Martha S van Ginkel¹, Andor W J M Glaudemans², Bert van der Vegt³, Esther Mossel¹, Frans G M Kroese¹, Hendrika Bootsma¹, Arjan Vissink⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
² Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by dysfunction and lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands. Besides the characteristic sicca complaints, pSS patients can present a spectrum of signs and symptoms, which challenges the diagnostic process. Various imaging techniques can be used to assist in the diagnostic work-up and follow-up of pSS patients. Developments in imaging techniques provide new opportunities and perspectives. In this descriptive review, we discuss imaging techniques that are used in pSS with a focus on the salivary glands. The emphasis is on the contribution of these techniques to the diagnosis of pSS, their potential in assessing disease activity and disease progression in pSS, and their contribution to diagnosing and staging of pSS-associated lymphomas. Imaging findings of the salivary glands will be linked to histopathological changes in the salivary glands of pSS patients.

Keywords: imaging; magnetic resonance imaging; positron emission tomography; primary Sjögren’s syndrome; salivary gland; salivary gland scintigraphy; salivary gland ultrasonography; sialendoscopy; sialography.

Publication types

Review