Sjögren’s Syndrome: Diagnostic Tests

Obligatory medical device diagnostics.

  • Saxon text – Measurement of saliva production; The affected person places a cotton ball, which has been previously weighed, in the mouth for 2 minutes. The cotton ball is then weighed again.
  • Schirmer test – measurement of the amount of tear production: a 5 mm wide and 35 mm long filter paper strip (litmus paper) is inserted into the outer corner of the eyelid in the conjunctival sac; after 5 minutes, the distance is read off, which the tear fluid in the paper strip has traveled; a xerophthalmia (decreased tear production) is present at a distance < 10 mm.
  • Sialography – Sialography is a contrast imaging of the salivary gland excretory ducts. Ascending (ascending) contrast agents introduced into the ductal system make the salivary glands visible on radiographs. The procedure is now rarely indicated; instead, sonography is used for diagnosis. [dispensable* ]
  • Sonography (ultrasound examination) of the parotid gland (parotid gland) and / or submandibular gland (submandibular gland) (salivary gland ultrasonography; English salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS))[echo-poor and inhomogeneous, usually cloudy-looking echo texture of the parotid gland / parotid gland].

Optional medical device diagnostics – depending on the results of the history, physical examination and obligatory laboratory parameters – for differential diagnostic clarification.

  • Slit-lamp examination (slit-lamp microscope; observation of the eyeball under appropriate illumination and high magnification) – to detect keratitis (corneal inflammation).
  • Scintigraphic examination of salivary gland secretion with 99mTc-pertechnetate [waived* ].

* Disclaimable according to current ACR (American College of Rheumatology) and EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) criteria for classification of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS).