Sjogren's syndrome-An interesting case

Abstract

Objective: To present a case of Sjogren syndrome with pulmonary manifestations in an adult female and discuss its assessment and management.

Design: Case Report.

Setting: Tertiary care hospital.

Patient: One.

Results: A 50 yrs female admitted with complaints of dryness of eyes with decreased salivation causing difficulty in swallowing since last 3 years, with persistent dry cough since 10-15 days and progressive dyspnea since 4-5 days. Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) profile revealed Anti- Ro/SS-A and Anti- La/SS-B Positive. Also, sub-lingual excisional biopsy was done which was consistent with findings of Sjogren's syndrome. Patient showed significant improvement after starting oral glucocorticoids, systemic anti inflammatory agents (Tab. HCQS), artificial tear drops, oral iron supplements and other supportive treatment.

Conclusion: Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by diminished lacrimal and salivary gland function and associated with lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands, and can affect extraglandular organ systems including the skin, lung, heart, kidney, neural, and hematopoietic systems. We present a case of Sjogren syndrome in an adult female presenting with xerostomia and dyspnea and was diagnosed upon detection of anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies and confirmed by histopathological examination of lip biopsy. Patient was started on oral steroids and other supportive treatment, General condition improved significantly and is doing very well on regular follow-up.

Keywords: Interstitial lung disease; Sjogren syndrome; Xerostomia.