To investigate the frequency of sialadenitis on lip biopsy in patients with synovitis of recent onset (ES), and see how sialadenitis relates to clinical and laborator findings of ES.
Joint involvement, laboratory measures and biopsies of the minor salivary glands were evaluated in 10 ES patients. Diagnosis at a one-year follow-up exam was noted.
Six ES patients (60%) had a positive lip biopsy (mononuclear cell focus score greater than 1). ES patients with a positive lip biopsy presented with oligoarthritis, while ES patients with a negative lip biopsy had a more polyarticular presentation. No differences in laboratory measures between patients with a positive and negative lip biopsy were present. Seven ES patients had a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and three had undifferentiated arthritis at the end of one year.
ES patients had a higher than expected frequency offocal sialadenitis.