Sjogren's syndrome: a persistent clinical problem.

One hundred sixty patients with Sjogren's syndrome have been evaluated and managed at Scripps Clinic. Objective diagnosis has relied heavily on rose-bengal vital staining and corneal slit lamp examination to establish the presence of KCS and lip biopsy. The role of the head and neck surgeon in evaluating the patient with "dry mouth" is discussed. Usually Sjogren's syndrome is managed nonsurgically, but problems of abscess, recurrent infection, disfigurement, and malignant transformation may result in the need for total parotidectomy with nerve preservation. Radiation for Sjogren's syndrome is rarely, if ever, indicated. The etiology of Sjogren's syndrome may be closely tied to the homogeneous genetic background of its patients and the presence of a chronic immunogenic stimulus well recognized in the secondary form but less clear in the primary.