A rare case of cerebellar degeneration due to primary Sjogren's syndrome

ARP Rheumatol. 2022 Jul-Sep;1(3):260-261. Epub 2022 Mar 27.

Abstract

Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune pathology which mainly affects salivary and lacrimal glands. Cerebellar degeneration association with SS is very rare, with only a few cases described. The treatment of SS with central nervous system involvement is not consensual. We present a 48-year-old woman with dysarthria, diplopia and ataxia associated with xerostomia. The brain magnetic imaging revealed bilateral cerebellar atrophy. She had antibody positivity for anti-SSA and anti-SSB and minor salivary glands biopsy revealed lymphocytic infiltration. Methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and intravenous immunoglobulin yielded no results. Rituximab was initiated with improvement in dysarthria and coordination.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Cyclophosphamide / therapeutic use
  • Dysarthria / complications
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • Methylprednisolone
  • Middle Aged
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases* / complications
  • Rituximab / therapeutic use
  • Sjogren's Syndrome* / complications

Substances

  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • Rituximab
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Methylprednisolone