SJOGRENS-SYNDROME - TERMINOLOGY

In spite of our continuously improved pathobiological understanding, t here is still no consensus on terminology and disease criteria in Sjog ren's syndromes (SS). This survey points out discrepencies in the curr ent description of the syndrome, and argues for a new classification m odel. We suggest that the present nomenclatures for the global disease (Sjogren's disease) and disease subsets (primary and secondary SS) be retained until additional pathobiological insights give rise to new a nd descriptive terms. We do find evidence, however, to support a new t erminology and classification of the main immunoinflammatory manifesta tions of primary SS, Accordingly, three ''exocrine'' and four ''non-ex ocrine'' subgroups of disease manifestations are here defined. The use fulness of the proposed model should be evaluated in clinical studies and in a debate engaging all of the medical specialities involved.