Early asymmetric neuropathy in primary Sjögren’s syndrome

Abstract

We report three female patients, 43, 47, and 50 years old, with a rare asymmetric form of clinically pure sensory neuropathy associated with primary Sjögren’s syndrome. In all three patients glandular involvement was accompanied by peripheral nerve disease. Sensory conduction studies showed completely normal results in two of three patients. Yet assessment of thermal-specific thresholds and thermal pain thresholds, combined with autonomic function tests (sympathetic skin response and R-R interval variation) supported the clinical suspicion of peripheral nerve disorder. Sjögren’s syndrome must be considered in asymmetric sensory neuropathies of unknown cause.