Sjögren Syndrome Prevalent Among Pediatric Patients With Recurrent Parotitis

Sjögren syndrome is common among pediatric patients with recurrent parotitis, according to study results published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.

The study included data of 20 patients aged 3 to 17 years who were referred to a pediatric otolaryngology or rheumatology clinic with recurrent parotitis. Researchers defined current parotitis as ≥1 episode of acute parotitis during a 12-month period. They reviewed presenting symptoms, serologies, sialendoscopy findings, and minor salivary gland biopsy pathology results.

Of the 20 patients, 2 (10%) met the American-European Consensus Group adult diagnostic criteria for Sjögren syndrome. A total of 8 patients (40%) received a diagnosis for Sjögren syndrome using the proposed Bartunkova pediatric diagnostic criteria for Sjögren syndrome.

Of the total cohort, 12 completed serologic testing, of whom 7 (58%) tested positive for SSA/SSB antibodies. Among patients who tested positive, 5 received a diagnosis for Sjögren syndrome based on serology results and clinical history; the remaining patients (n=2) were given diagnoses of other autoimmune disorders.

Study limitations included its retrospective focus and variable practices among providers. Researchers noted that although the cohort was larger than previously evaluated cohorts in this population, the sample size was still small.

However, despite these limitations, the researchers believe that the study results warrant the development of Sjögren syndrome diagnostic criteria specific to pediatric patients.

“Pediatric otolaryngologists evaluating [data of] children with recurrent parotitis should consider [Sjögren syndrome] as an underlying diagnosis,” the researchers wrote.

Reference

Schiffer BL, Stern SM, Park AH. Sjögren’s syndrome in children with recurrent parotitis. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;129:109768.