Abstract
PURPOSE
To report the ocular complications of primary Sjögren syndrome (SS) in men.
DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.
METHODS
setting: Tertiary-care SS center.
PATIENT POPULATION
Total of 163 consecutive primary Sjögren syndrome patients evaluated between January 2007 and March 2013.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Frequency of extraglandular ocular and systemic manifestations and serologic results in men compared to women.
RESULTS
Fourteen of the 163 primary SS patients (9%) were men. On initial presentation, men were a decade older (61 vs 50 years, P < .01) and less likely than women to have a prior diagnosis of SS (43% vs 65%, P = .09). A majority of men reported dry eye on presentation (92%), albeit less chronic compared to women (5.9 vs 10.8 years, P = .07). Men were more likely to present with serious ocular complications than women (43% vs 11%, P = .001). Extraglandular systemic complications of SS (ie, vasculitis, interstitial nephritis) were also more common in men (64% vs 40%, P = .07). Further, men were more likely to be negative for anti-SSA/Ro, anti-SSB/La, and antinuclear antibodies than women (36% men vs 11% women, P = .01).
CONCLUSION
Men with primary SS have a higher frequency of serious ocular and systemic manifestations. Although primary Sjögren syndrome is typically considered a disease of middle-aged women, it may be underdiagnosed and consequentially more severe in men. Physicians should have a lower threshold to test for SS in men with dry eye.
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