Therefore, we concluded that stroke is an uncommon manifestation of Sjögren syndrome, and recurrent strokes are an even rarer manifestation. Thus, it is meaningful to report this case of a female patient who experienced recurrent strokes associated with primary Sjögren syndrome.
Recent studies show that if you have the autoimmune disease lupus you're at higher risk for a stroke. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common form of lupus and makes up 70% of the cases. In fact, if you have SLE, you're eight times more likely to have a stroke compared with the general public.
The CNS manifestations of pSS include diffuse abnormalities (psychiatric changes, encephalopathy, aseptic meningitis, and cognitive difficulties/dementia) and focal or multifocal involvement of the brain and spinal cord leading to motor and sensory deficits, seizures, aphasia, and optic neuropathy [12, 31].
Inflammation can cause pneumonia, bronchitis or other problems in your lungs; lead to problems with kidney function; and cause hepatitis or cirrhosis in your liver. Lymph nodes. A small percentage of people with Sjogren's syndrome develop cancer of the lymph nodes (lymphoma).
If Sjögren's syndrome isn't treated appropriately, significant, long-term complications could result that affect your eyes, mouth, lungs, kidneys, liver or lymph nodes — complications including blindness, significant dental destruction and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In most people with Sjögren syndrome, dry eyes and dry mouth are the primary features of the disorder, and general health and life expectancy are largely unaffected.
These and previous studies suggest a model for pSS that separates the disease into several stages: 1) initial injury to the submandibular and lacrimal glands via an environmental insult and LTα; 2) amplification of local injury via the production of type 1 IFN; injury to the parotid glands, lungs, and kidneys is seen; ...
While some people experience mild discomfort, others suffer debilitating symptoms that greatly impair their ability to function. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can prevent serious complications and greatly improve quality of life.
MRI of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome has shown multiple areas of increased signal intensity in the periventricular and subcortical white matter (WM) on FLAIR and T2-weighted images [7–10]. These findings have been observed in both patients with and those without CNS impairment [7–10].
In multivariate analysis adjusted by age groups, gender and the comorbidities, the HR of developing dementia was 1.246 (95% CI 1.123–1.384) times greater in the pSS group than in the non‐pSS group. This result suggested that pSS was an independent risk factor for the development of dementia.
In the advanced stages of pSS, cystic changes can be found with MRI, which are thought to arise from destruction of the salivary gland parenchyma and the presence of fibrosis and fatty infiltration [3,31,36].
Central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis: In this condition, the immune system attacks the blood vessels. You may experience severe headaches, forgetfulness or confusions, problems with your vision, seizures, or mini strokes. We diagnose CNS vasculitis using blood tests, MRI, and blood vessel scans.
High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. It occurs when the pressure of the blood in your arteries and other blood vessels is too high.
Stroke mimics vary with age, Fredieu said. “Under the age of 50, most stroke mimics are migraines, epilepsy, seizures, multiple sclerosis or high blood pressure that causes swelling in the brain,” he said.
We divided SS patients into three stages: stage I is glandular SS, stage II is extraglandular SS, and stage III is extraglandular SS with lymphoid malignancy. The lymphoaggressive nature of the disease appears to lead SS patients from stage I to II and from stage II to III.
The main symptoms are dry eyes and mouth, but other parts of the body may be affected as well, with many people reporting fatigue and joint and muscle pain. In addition, the disease can damage the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system.
Sjogren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the body's own immune system attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva. Foods that help are omega-3 fatty acids, organic meat, whole fruits and vegetables. Bad foods include trans fat, high glycemic, red meat, dairy, and artificial sweeteners.
Dry eyes, corneal ulcerations and infections. Dry nose, recurrent sinusitis, nosebleeds. Dry mouth, mouth sores, dental decay, difficulty with chewing, speech, taste and dentures. Swollen, painful parotid/salivary glands.
Vasculitis is a common manifestation of Sjögren's syndrome that is usually manifested as a rash or as peripheral neuropathy. Vasculitis is associated with the presence of anti-Ro and anti-La, as least when measured by precipitation, as well as other extra-exocrine gland involvement.
The condition may progress slowly, so the typical symptoms of dry eyes and mouth may take years to show. However, rapid onset can also occur. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and the progression is often unpredictable.
Sjögren's syndrome doesn't cause weight gain. However, medications (like steroids) used to treat symptoms may cause weight gain. Also, there are conditions like hypothyroidism that may be linked to Sjögren's syndrome that can result in unintended weight gain.
Joint pain is one of the most common symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome. Multiple joints are painful, usually episodically with periods of joint pain, known as “flares”, followed by periods of little or no joint pain. Tenderness and swelling of the joints, when present, are indicative of inflammatory arthritis.
Sjögren's, like most autoimmune diseases, can run in families.