Dysphagia and dysmotility of the pharynx and oesophagus in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of pharyngeal and oesophageal symptoms and dysmotility in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and relate these to autonomic nervous function. Methods: Twenty consecutive pSS patients, according to the American-European Consensus Criteria (AECC), and 30 age- and sex-matched controls from the Swedish general population registry were studied. All subjects completed a pharyngeal and oesophageal symptoms questionnaire and were examined by pharyngeal and oesophageal video radiography. In addition, the pSS patients were examined by two different autonomic nervous function tests, the deep breathing test [calculating the expiration inspiration (E I) ratio] and the finger skin blood flow test [the vasoconstriction (VAC) index]. Results: pSS patients experienced significantly more dysphagia compared with controls (65% vs. 3%; p