Sjögren's syndrome: historical overview and clinical spectrum of disease.

Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease characterized by lymphocyte proliferation that progressively destroys exocrine glands. The lymphocytes can infiltrate other and more vital organs and may at times become malignant. Another name for this disease is autoimmune exocrinopathy. It was first described over 100 years ago both as a benign syndrome of oral and ocular dryness and also as a lymphoid malignancy. Thus, Sjögren's syndrome is related to the autoimmune rheumatic diseases, as well as to lymphoid B-cell malignancies.