Sjögren’s Disease Multidisciplinary Clinic

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WashU Medicine Division of Rheumatology offers a multidisciplinary program for Sjögren’s disease, a systemic autoimmune disease that commonly affects the tear and salivary glands but can involve many parts of the body.

Dry eyes and dry mouth are common features of Sjögren’s, but the disease can extend well beyond dryness. Patients may experience fatigue, joint and muscle pain, salivary gland swelling, and neurologic symptoms. In some patients, Sjögren’s may also involve the lungs, kidneys, skin, blood vessels, or other organs.

Because Sjögren’s can present differently from person to person, diagnosis can sometimes be challenging. There is no single test that establishes the diagnosis. Evaluation may include blood tests, objective assessment of tear and saliva production, evaluation by optometry or ophthalmology, salivary gland imaging, and minor salivary gland biopsy when appropriate.

The WashU Sjögren’s Disease Multidisciplinary Clinic brings together specialists to provide coordinated care for patients with known or suspected Sjögren’s disease, including those with complex or systemic manifestations. Depending on an individual patient’s needs, care may involve rheumatology, optometry/ophthalmology, neurology, ear, nose and throat (ENT), pulmonology, and other specialties.

Treatment is individualized based on each patient’s symptoms and organ involvement. The program also emphasizes longitudinal follow-up to monitor changes in disease manifestations and complications over time.

The clinic also plans to support clinical and translational research in Sjögren’s disease, with the goal of improving diagnosis, understanding different disease manifestations, and developing more individualized approaches to treatment.

The WashU Sjögren’s Disease Multidisciplinary Clinic focuses on improving diagnostic accuracy, coordinating care across specialties, and advancing research to improve outcomes for people living with Sjögren’s disease.

Clinic Location

Director

Collaborators

Neurology: Arun Varadhachary, MD, PhD
ENT: Allison Ogden, MD, FACS