Approach to children with Sjögren’s syndrome

Sjogren's syndrome may develop during childhood but its clinical presentation differs from that of adults. About half of the pediatric patients present with recurrent parotitis, whereas only a small subset are diagnosed because of oral and ocular dryness. The remainder present with nonspecific musculoskeletal pain, laboratory abnormalities, or extraglandular manifestations that prompt referral to a pediatric rheumatologist. The heterogeneity of presentations necessitates a high index of suspicion for proper diagnosis. The current standard of care for management of childhood Sjogren's syndrome is reviewed, but further studies are needed to define long-term prognosis and the optimal treatments to prevent disease progression and serious complications.