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. 2025 Aug 6:e252665.
doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.2665. Online ahead of print.

Cutaneous Vasculitis in Primary Sjögren Disease

Paul Breillat  1   2 , Véronique Le Guern  1 , Thomas d'Humières  3 , Maxime Battistella  4 , Paul Legendre  5 , Cédric Lenormand  6 , Diane Kottler  7 , Alexis Mathian  8 , Marie Jachiet  9 , Jihane El Khalifa  10 , Thibault Mahévas  9 , Chloé Comarmond  11 , Damien Sene  11 , Zahir Amoura  8 , Jacques-Eric Gottenberg  12 , Luc Mouthon  1 , Jean-David Bouaziz  9 , Xavier Mariette  13 , François Chasset  14   15 ; ASSESS Study Investigators; EMSED (Etude des maladies systémiques en dermatologie) study group and the French ASSESS cohort
Collaborators, Affiliations

Cutaneous Vasculitis in Primary Sjögren Disease

Paul Breillat et al. JAMA Dermatol. .

Abstract

Importance: Cutaneous vasculitis (CV) is a heterogenous and severe complication of primary Sjögren disease, often indicating systemic involvement and poor prognosis. Understanding its characteristics and outcomes is essential for patient management.

Objective: To describe the clinical features, management, and prognosis of different CV types in patients with Sjögren disease.

Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective multicenter cohort study included patients with Sjögren disease and CV from pathology departments of 3 university hospitals in Paris, France (2011-2021), and a national case call. Patients met American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria and were matched 1:2 to controls patients with Sjögren disease but without CV. Data were collected and analyzed between March 2023 and March 2025.

Exposure: Presence of CV classified using the Chapel Hill classification dermatological addendum.

Main outcomes and measures: Demographics, clinical characteristics, immunological parameters, and received treatments were recorded. Primary outcomes were lymphoma occurrence and mortality risk, as well therapeutic response.

Results: Among 54 patients with CV and Sjögren disease (median [IQR] age at diagnosis of CV, 42 [27.7-56.0] years; 49 [91%] female), CV was more frequently classified as cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (29 patients [57%]) or hypergammaglobulinemic vasculitis (15 patients [28%]). Compared to controls, patients with Sjögren disease and CV had a higher lymphoma incidence (12 of 54 [13%] vs 4 of 108 [4%]; P = .04). Compared to other types of CV, type II cryoglobulinemic vasculitis was associated with increased mortality or lymphoma risk (hazard ratio, 6.8; 95% CI, 1.8-25.5; P = .005), higher ESSDAI (EULAR Sjögren Syndrome Disease Activity Index) scores (median [IQR], 15 [12-23]; P = .005), and more frequent kidney involvement (7 of 24 patients [29%] vs 1 of 25 patients [4%]; P = .02) and peripheral nervous system involvement (15 of 24 patients [63%] vs 3 of 25 patients [12%]; P < .001). Rituximab-based therapy showed no survival benefit for patients with type II cryoglobulinemic vasculitis compared to other treatments.

Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study, among CV subtypes in patients with Sjögren disease, only type II cryoglobulinemic vasculitis was associated with poor prognosis. Early recognition and monitoring for systemic complications, particularly lymphoma, are essential in these patients. Further research is needed to evaluate optimal treatment strategies for improving outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Prof Mariette reported personal fees from Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Novartis, and Otsuka outside the submitted work. Dr Chasset reported grants from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, and GSK outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

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