Exclusion Conditions in Diagnosis of Sjogren's Syndrome

 

Conditions that should be excluded prior to making the diagnosis of Sjogren's disease:

(1) irradiation of the head and neck

(2) viral hepatitis C

(3) acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

(4) pre-existing malignant lymphoma

(5) sarcoidosis

(6) transplant with graft vs host disease (GVHD)

(7) therapy with an anticholinergic drug within 4 half-lives for the drug

(8) amyloidosis

 

Features of Sjogren's Syndrome	Other Autoimmune Disease	Exclusion Condition	Diagnosis
present	absent	absent	primary Sjogren's
present	present	absent	secondary Sjogren's
present	absent	present	pseudo-Sjogren's

 

where:

• An occasional patient with primary or secondary Sjogren's syndrome may have one or more of the exclusion conditions. The diagnosis may be difficult and rely on the pattern of autoantibodies.

• IgG4-related disease needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis.