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Multiple microlithiasis in bilateral parotid glands as the initial clinical manifestation of primary Sjögren’s syndrome

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Abstract

We report a rare case of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) with multiple microliths in the bilateral parotid glands. A 41-year-old man presented to our department with mild pain in the region of the right parotid gland. The dental examination was negative except for the parotid regions. The right region was moderately swollen and the left mildly swollen. Plain radiography revealed multiple calculi in the bilateral parotid glands. Ultrasonography showed heterogenic parenchyma, with microliths and cystic lesions in the parotid glands and heterogenic echotexture in the submandibular glands. Immunologic tests and the Schirmer test confirmed the diagnosis of SS. As the patient had no classic symptoms of SS, the bilateral multiple microliths were the first sign, facilitating the final diagnosis. Early diagnosis of SS is highly relevant because the proper therapy can be initiated. Adequate follow-up and, especially, control of the disease activity by identifying the predictive factors, are the primary objectives of SS management, enabling personalized treatment of this malignant disease. This case is a good example of how detection of calcifications in the bilateral parotid glands by plain radiography can help diagnose SS at an early stage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oro-Maxillofacial Surgery and Stomatology, Semmelweis University, 52 Mária Street, Budapest, 1085, Hungary

    Adrienn Dobai, Levente Pataky & József Barabás

Authors
  1. Adrienn Dobai
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  2. Levente Pataky
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  3. József Barabás
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Correspondence to Adrienn Dobai.

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Adrienn Dobai, Levente Pataky, and József Barabás declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human rights statements and informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. We read the Helsinki Declaration and have maintained its ethical standards. The patient has given informed consent to publish the case report.

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Dobai, A., Pataky, L. & Barabás, J. Multiple microlithiasis in bilateral parotid glands as the initial clinical manifestation of primary Sjögren’s syndrome. Oral Radiol 34, 267–272 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11282-017-0294-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11282-017-0294-8

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