A comparison of diagnostic tools for Sjögren syndrome, with emphasis on sialography, histopathology, and ultrasonography

Abstract

Objective: The present study examined the reliability and correlation of sialography, salivary gland biopsy, and ultrasonography for Sjögren syndrome (SS) and evaluated the usefulness of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool for SS compared with sialography and histopathology.

Study design: Seventy-three patients who underwent sialography, ultrasonography, and salivary gland biopsy were included in this study. The study evaluated the diagnostic reliability and correlation of each kind of examination with SS.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the sensitivities of sialography and histopathology, in the specificities of sialography and ultrasonography, and in the accuracies of sialography and both ultrasonography and histopathology. The correlation coefficient (r) between sialography and ultrasonography was significantly higher than the others and indicated a good correlation.

Conclusions: Ultrasonography can be used as a diagnostic tool for SS, with its advantage of noninvasiveness and ease of use.