Parotid Sialography in Sjögren's Syndrome

Peripheral sialectasis was found in 59 (94%) of 63 cases of Sjögren's syndrome; cylindrical peripheral sialectasis was the most prevalent pattern. Depending on the degree of acinar filling, abnormal retention is of relative diagnostic value. Dilatation of Stenson's duct is not a feature in Sjögren's syndrome but in obstructive or inflammatory conditions whose features are the opposite of the peripheral changes in the syndrome. However, suppression of small-duct filling is sometimes seen. Cylindrical sialectasis, not emphasized previously in the syndrome, represents a criterion for its earlier diagnosis, with sialography valuable for confirming probable cases or for defining those in which the clinical and laboratory pictures are questionable.