Extended reports
Corticosteroid irrigation of parotid gland for treatment of
xerostomia in patients with Sjögren's syndrome
a Department of
Radiology and Cancer Biology, Nagasaki University School of Dentistry,
Japan, b First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki
University School of Medicine, Japan
Correspondence to: Dr T Nakamura, Department of Radiology and Cancer Biology, Nagasaki University School of Dentistry, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan.
Accepted for publication 26 June 1998
OBJECTIVE
To determine
the efficacy of corticosteroid irrigation of the parotid gland in
relieving salivary flow deficiency in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
METHODSThe parotid
glands of 31 patients with primary (24) or secondary (seven)
Sjögren's syndrome were irrigated either with saline solution
followed by corticosteroid solution, or with saline solution alone.
Salivary function was assessed by Saxon test.
RESULTSCorticosteroid
irrigation significantly increased the salivary flow rate in patients
with Sjögren's syndrome (p< 0.0001), with clinical improvement
detectable 3.7 (2.4) weeks (mean (SD)) after initial corticosteroid
irrigation. The extent of improvement in salivary function was
reciprocal to the clinical severity of the disease, with patients at
the early stages obtaining 1.20 (0.57) g net increase in salivary flow
rate, and patients at the most advanced stages obtaining 0.20 (0.47) g
net increase. Repeated corticosteroid irrigations did not evoke
corticosteroid refractoriness of the salivary gland; similar levels of
net increase in salivary flow rate were observed after the second to
fourth challenge of the corticosteroid in these patients. The sustained
period was 8.4 (3.5) months (mean (SD)).
CONCLUSIONThese
findings suggest the clinical usefulness of corticosteroid irrigation
therapy in relieving xerostomia in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
© 1998 by Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Lodde, B M, Baum, B J, Tak, P P, Illei, G
(2006). Experience with experimental biological treatment and local gene therapy in Sjogren's syndrome: implications for exocrine pathogenesis and treatment. Ann Rheum Dis
65: 1406-1413
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Ramos-Casals, M, Tzioufas, A G, Font, J
(2005). Primary Sjogren's syndrome: new clinical and therapeutic concepts. Ann Rheum Dis
64: 347-354
[Abstract] [Full Text] -
Takagi, Y, Kimura, Y, Nakamura, T
(2004). Cevimeline gargle for the treatment of xerostomia in patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis
63: 749-749
[Full Text]
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
- Citation Map
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
