Brief observation
Sjögren’s syndrome–associated myelopathy:: Response to immunosuppressive treatment

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Case reports

Three women, ages 36 to 55 years, presented with signs and symptoms of acute myelitis. All 3 patients had objective motor loss in their legs, sensory levels (patient 1 at T4, patient 2 at T6, and patient 3 at T9 left/T12 right), and upgoing plantar responses. Patient 1 also had evidence of a right optic neuritis. Patients 1 and 2 had symptoms of urinary retention. Patients 2 and 3 had been previously diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome. At the time of presentation with acute myelitis, all 3 had

Discussion

Although the etiology of the Sjögren’s syndrome–associated lesion is unknown, the clinical courses and responses to treatment in our patients support the suggestion (1) that vasculitis is central to its pathogenesis. First, it is widely agreed that Sjögren’s syndrome with anti-Ro and La antibodies (as in our patients) is associated with systemic vasculitis. Second, marked swelling of the spinal cord is unusual in demyelinating disease. Third, the presence of oligoclonal bands in both serum and

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    In rare cases, ATM — with or without ON — can also be the first manifestation of SLE or SS or can occur at any time during the course of SLE [31,41–44]. The incidence of ATM is estimated to be 1–3% and < 1% in SLE and SS, respectively [45–47]. In the first retrospective application of the TMCWG criteria to a multi-center cohort of 288 ATM patients, 15.6% of the cases were classified as idiopathic, 10.8% eventually developed MS, 19% were associated with spinal cord infarcts, 17.3% were classified as infectious or parainfectious, 17% of patients ultimately were diagnosed as NMO, and 20.5% of patients had associated systemic autoimmune diseases [48].

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    There has been no retrospective analysis to determine the real incidence or prevalence of ATM in primary Sjogren's. There are numerous case reports of ATM or sub acute TM as the initial manifestation or a subsequent finding in Sjogren's syndrome [38–41]. There is even a case report of a patient with ATM secondary to Sjogren's without xerostosis [42].

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