Systemic Therapy of Salivary Gland Hypofunction

Salivary gland hypofunction occurs most often as a consequence of numerous drug therapies, anti-neoplastic treatments, or systemic disease. There are no universally accepted means of treating gland dysfunction and the resultant subjective xerostomia. A few studies have suggested that treatment of underlying inflammatory connective tissue disease will improve salivary performance in Sjögren's syndrome. Most of these reports, however, have either been limited to a small number of patients or have failed to include objective measures of salivary gland output. A larger body of literature deals with attempts using many different sialogogues to stimulate salivary function in a variety of conditions. Again, many studies have failed to document salivary improvement objectively. Recently, interest has focused on three drugs: bromhexine, anethole-trithione, and pilocarpine hydrochloride. Studies with these agents are reviewed, and current clinical investigations with pilocarpine are presented in detail.