Agreement between glandular ultrasonography and histopathology of minor salivary glands in adults with sicca syndrome

Abstract

Introduction/objectives: Sjögren's disease is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects the exocrine glands. Agreement between glandular ultrasound and focus score has been described as moderate to strong. The objective of this study was to assess the agreement between ultrasound findings of salivary and lacrimal glands and the histopathological results of minor salivary gland biopsies in patients with sicca syndrome seen at a quaternary care hospital in Colombia.

Methods: This was an ambispective cohort study. A total of 66 patients were included, of whom 42 were classified as having Sjögren's disease and 24 as having non-Sjögren sicca syndrome, according to the 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria. Focus scores were obtained from minor salivary gland biopsy reports, and ultrasound of the lacrimal and salivary glands was performed.

Results: Ultrasound findings showed that 57.6% of patients presented glandular abnormalities, most frequently in the submandibular glands. The agreement between ultrasound findings and minor salivary gland biopsy was low (agreement rate: 57%, Kappa: 0.178). Advanced age (> 68 years) was identified as a factor negatively influencing the agreement. Parotid gland ultrasound had high specificity (100%) for the diagnosis of Sjögren's disease, but limited sensitivity (24-30%). No significant association was found between abnormalities in lacrimal glands and the diagnosis of Sjögren's disease.

Conclusion: Although glandular ultrasound may serve as a complementary tool, it cannot yet replace minor salivary gland biopsy for the diagnosis of Sjögren's disease. Further studies are needed to confirm its diagnostic performance and agreement with salivary gland histopathology. Key Points • Overall agreement between ultrasound and minor salivary gland biopsy was low in this cohort • Older age (>68 years) was associated with reduced agreement between imaging and histopathology • Parotid gland ultrasound showed high specificity but limited sensitivity for classifying Sjögren's disease.

Keywords: Histology; Lacrimal glands; Salivary glands; Sjogren’s disease; Ultrasonography.

Fig. 1

Study flowchart