Keratoconjunctivitis sicca: Sex incidence

This paper was presented at the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and The International Society of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in New Orleans, Louisiana, November, 1986. ABSTRACT The higher incidence of Sjogren's syndrome in the female sex is well recognised and, more recently, attention has been drawn to the greater number of cases of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in the dog occurring in the female than in the male, particularly in the West Highland white terrier. Similarly, in the mouse laboratory model for Sjogren's syndrome more severe lesions were found in the female. In a recent toxicity study 5‐aminosalicylic acid caused keratoconjunctivitis sicca in the dog and in this trial the females had lower average Schirmer tear test readings in all the dose groups, progression was more pronounced in the female and there was a higher incidence of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in the female than in the male.