Lung Involvement in Sjögren's Syndrome

Lung involvement in primary Sjogren's syndrome, was first described by Henrik Sjogren more than 50 years ago, who reported similar histopathological changes in the exocrine glands of the bronchi with those observed in the salivary glands. Since then, pulmonary involvement in primary Sjogren's syndrome, has been the subject of various studies and several pulmonary complications have been described, including bronchial and bronchiolar disease, interstitial pneumonitis, and lymphoma. Although frequent and pleomorphic, pulmonary involvement is rarely clinically severe. However, in the symptomatic patient with significant functional and radiological abnormalities tissue diagnosis, either by transbronchial or by open lung biopsy, is mandatory because of the malignant potential of some lesions.