Myelopathy in seronegative Sjögren syndrome and/or primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between multiple sclerosis (MS) and Sjögren syndrome (SS) is controversial. Nine patients, previously diagnosed with primary progressive MS (PPMS) and who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for SS, are described.


METHODS
The European classification criteria for SS were used to study nine PPMS patients that complained of sicca complex symptoms. The following tests were performed: Schirmer test, rose bengal staining, salivary scintigraphy, minor salivary gland biopsy and serologic tests (antibodies Ro/SS-A, La/SS-B and antinuclear antibodies).


RESULTS
The nine patients met criteria to be diagnosed with SS (at least four criteria). All patients were women with a mean age of 46.6 years at symptom onset. Spastic paraparesis was the presenting symptom in all patients, and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed abnormalities in most; anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies were mostly negative.


CONCLUSIONS
Some MS patients, predominantly women over 45 years of age, with progressive spastic paraparesis, antiextractable nuclear antigen antibodies (Ro/SS-A or La/SS-B) negative and with abnormalities in spinal cord MRI, may have SS as an additional or alternative diagnosis.
Pericot
I
I
Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica, Escola d'enfermeria, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. imma@comg.es
Brieva
L
L
Tintoré
M
M
Río
J
J
Sastre-Garriga
J
J
Nos
C
C
Montalban
X
X
D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000150:complications*; D020336:Paraparesis, Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; C035356:SS-A antibodies; C035357:SS-B antibodies