title: Minor salivary gland evaluation: Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to analyze the value of 3 serial sections, spaced 200 µm apart, for quantification of lymphocyte and plasma cell foci in minor salivary gland biopsy (MSGB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Labial MSGBs from 69 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and scleroderma were used for this study. Each sample was prepared as 3 serial sections spaced 200 µm apart. Lymphocytic and plasma cell focus score (LFS, PFS) were determined for each section, and the diagnostic results were compared to those obtained from a single section.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 22 of the 69 patients, all 3 sections were scored at <1 and interpreted as inconclusive for the presence of SS. For 20 cases, all 3 sections were scored at ≥1 and interpreted as diagnostic for SS. In the remaining 27 cases, the score was found to vary between sections. Plasma cell foci were observed in 11 cases, with 5 cases exhibiting a PFS of ≥1. Of those 5 cases, 4 also had a LFS of ≥1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment of 3 serial sections in MSGB has the potential to improve accuracy of SS diagnosis by detecting specific features that may not have been detected in a single section. We concluded that data about the PFS require further evaluation.
authors: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Sülen
authors: S
authors: Sarioğlu
authors: Department of Pathology, Tepecik Research and Training Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Ülkü
authors: Ü
authors: Küçük
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Pınar
authors: P
authors: Çetin
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: İsmail
authors: İ
authors: Sari
authors: Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors: Ahmet Merih
authors: AM
authors: Birlik
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D012469:Salivary Glands; D012470:Salivary Glands, Minor; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome
keywords: focus score; multilevel examination;  Sjögren’s syndrome