SJOGREN SYNDROME

Course overview

PRIMARY SJOGREN SYNDROME IS A SYSTEMIC AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER COMMONLY PRESENTING WITH DRYNESS INVOLVING THE EYES AND MOUTH DUE TO INFLAMMATION AND RESULTANT PATHOLOGY OF THE LACRIMAL AND SALIVARY GLANDS. UP TO ONE-HALF OF AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS ALSO DEVELOP EXTRA-GLANDULAR INVOLVEMENT IN ORGANS SUCH AS THE JOINTS, SKIN, LUNGS, GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) TRACT, NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND KIDNEYS. THIS CONDITION IS FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS INCLUDING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE). SJOGREN SYNDROME IS MANAGED BY REPLACING MOISTURE AT AFFECTED GLANDULAR SITES AND DIMINISHING THE AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE LOCALLY AS WELL AS SYSTEMICALLY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SJOGREN SYNDROME AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.