What is the differential diagnosis of Sjogren syndrome in childhood?
Sjögren syndrome is characterized by dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), dry mouth and carious teeth, and parotitis. Differentiating children with benign recurrent parotid swelling, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, sarcoidosis, IgG4 syndrome, tuberculosis, lymphoma, and mumps from children with Sjögren syndrome is important. As in adults, salivary gland biopsy of the lip is often helpful to confirm a suspected diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome. Sjögren syndrome is uncommon in childhood and is usually found in association with other CTDs.
