A Case of Sjogren's Syndrome in a Patient with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis / 대한류마티스학회지

ABSTRACT

Sjogren's syndrome (SS)is a chronic,slowly progressive autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands leading to dry mouth and dry eyes accompanied by a variety of autoimmune phenomena. Despite the obvious difference in the affected organ,patients with SS and those with Hashimoto's thyroiditis share several histologic and genetic features.The immunopathologic findings of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Sjogren's sialadenitis show similarities such as infiltration by activated T lymphocytes and inappropriate expression of HLA class II molecules by the epithelial cells.It has been reported that up to 50%of patients with SS develop autoimmune thyroid disease in the clinical course,and patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis have symptoms related to SS frequently.In Korea,the ocurrence of SS in association with Hashimoto's thyroiditis has not been reported so far,although it is considered to coexist occasionally.We report a case of primary SS in a patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who had been treated with levothyroxine.