Clinical assessment of salivary glands function

Abstract One of the main features of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is the lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands, mainly of the salivary and lacrimal glands, causing gland destruction. The severity of the salivary gland dysfunction is frequently associated with disease progression. Therefore, accurate assessment of salivary flow rates has diagnostic and prognostic value. However, in addition to the serological markers, the confirmative diagnostic test for SS at present is the assessment of lymphocytic infiltrate in a minor salivary gland biopsy. As the latter is an invasive and expensive procedure, there have been studies recently advocating the benefits of salivary gland ultrasound and other noninvasive tests in diagnosing SS and in eliminating or reducing the need for a biopsy.