[Should minor salivary gland biopsy still be performed?].
BACKGROUND
Labial salivary gland biopsy (LSGB) is a very useful technique that is often performed in our specialty. A lot of these LSGB yield normal results and the interest of this technique may be discussed. This study was made to answer two questions: one on the diagnostic interest of LSGB for the suspected pathology, secondly to verify if there was a correlation between the results of LSGB assessment and the patient's final diagnosis.


METHODS
Ninety-six LSGB were performed in 2004 for Sjögren syndrome, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis and other auto-immune diseases. The histological study assessed the Chisholm-Mason score and screened for amyloidosis and sarcoidosic granuloma. The prescribing unit gave the final diagnosis.


RESULTS
The LSGB was very specific (100% of specificity) and there were no false positive results; conversely, its sensitivity was lower, that is 75% for Sjögren syndrome, 67% for amyloidosis, 60% for sarcoidosis and 14% for other auto-immune disease (not defined).


CONCLUSIONS
LSGB can be recommended for Sjögren syndrome; it is also useful for amyloidosis. In sarcoidosis it gives poor results and presents no interest for other auto-immune diseases. The LSGB prescribed for patients with a suspected initial single diagnosis (Sjögren syndrome only, or amyloidosis only, or sarcoidosis only, or an other auto-immune disease only) significantly increases the specificity and the sensitivity of the technique and suggests that specificity and sensitivity are linked to patient selection and not to LSGB itself.
Baeteman
C
C
Service de stomatologie et chirurgie maxillo-faciale, CHU La-Timone, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France.
Guyot
L
L
Bouvenot
J
J
Chossegros
C
C
Cheynet
F
F
Loudot
C
C
Serratrice
J
J
Attarian
S
S
D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012466:Salivary Gland Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor / Q000473:pathology*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D014375:Tuberculoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology