Abstract/Text: OBJECTIVE: Despite the availability of many new imaging procedures, sialography has, after decades of use, maintained its status as the imaging procedure of choice for evaluating the oral component of Sjögren syndrome (SS). In this study, the clinical value of sialography as a diagnostic tool in SS was explored by assessing its diagnostic accuracy, observer bias, and staging potential.
METHODS: One hundred parotid sialograms were interpreted independently in a blinded fashion by 2 trained and 2 expert observers. Sialograms were derived from a group of consecutive patients referred for diagnostics of SS. Patients were categorized as SS and non-SS by the revised European classification criteria.
RESULTS: Trained observers reached a sensitivity of 95 and a specificity of 33% for SS by sialogram, whereas expert observers reached a sensitivity of 87 and a specificity of 84%. There was only "fair" interobserver agreement between trained and expert observers, whereas both expert observers showed "good" agreement with one another, according to Cohen's kappa. Intraobserver agreement was "good" to "very good" for all observers. The 4 different gradations of sialectasia, ie, punctate, globular, cavitary, and destructive, showed a weak but significant correlation with the duration of oral symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: This study markedly shows that the diagnostic value of parotid sialography for diagnosing SS greatly depends on the skills of the observer, implying that sialography lacks general applicability as a diagnostic tool in SS and requires specific expertise. Nevertheless, given its potentially high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing SS as well as its useful staging potential, sialography still has its use in the evaluation of the oral component of SS.

Abstract/Text: OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the reliability and correlation of sialography, salivary gland biopsy, and ultrasonography for Sjögren syndrome (SS) and evaluated the usefulness of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool for SS compared with sialography and histopathology.
STUDY DESIGN: Seventy-three patients who underwent sialography, ultrasonography, and salivary gland biopsy were included in this study. The study evaluated the diagnostic reliability and correlation of each kind of examination with SS.
RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the sensitivities of sialography and histopathology, in the specificities of sialography and ultrasonography, and in the accuracies of sialography and both ultrasonography and histopathology. The correlation coefficient (r) between sialography and ultrasonography was significantly higher than the others and indicated a good correlation.
CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography can be used as a diagnostic tool for SS, with its advantage of noninvasiveness and ease of use.

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Abstract/Text: OBJECTIVE: The usefulness of a night guard for nocturnal xerostomia was investigated.
STUDY DESIGN: A controlled clinical trial was conducted, and the primary outcome measure was the satisfaction with the night guard in subjective improvement of the sensation of nocturnal dryness. The night guard device was fabricated with a 1.5-mm-thick ethylene vinyl acetate sheet, which covered the dental arch and the hard palate, and did not possess a reservoir for retaining a saliva substitute.
RESULTS: Following completion of 2-week treatment, substantial improvement was reported by the treatment group compared with the control group (P = .025). The posttreatment VAS value was significantly decreased compare with that of pretreatment period in sensation of oral dryness (P = .0295), thirstiness (P = .0012), and burning sensation of the tongue (P = .0371) in the treatment group
CONCLUSION: The application of a night guard is suggested to be a useful and simple method for the management of nocturnal xerostomia.