Keratoconjunctivitis sicca and primary Sjögren's syndrome in a Danish population aged 30-60 years.

PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of keratoconjunctivitis sicca and primary Sjögren's syndrome a sample of 504 persons aged 30-60 years from Copenhagen was studied.

METHODS

The presence of keratoconjunctivitis sicca and primary Sjögren's syndrome was estimated according to both the Copenhagen set of criteria and the preliminary European criteria.

RESULTS

Symptoms of dry eye and oral dryness were very common and with no significant correlation to age or sex. Keratoconjuncitivis sicca was most frequent in persons aged 50-59 years and was equally common in men and women. Primary Sjögren's syndrome could only be diagnosed in one person according to the Copenhagen criteria (cut-off the Schirmer-1 test < or = 5 mm/5 min), and in three persons according to the preliminary European criteria.

CONCLUSION

The frequency of keratoconjunctivitis sicca in persons aged 30-60 years in Copenhagen may be estimated to be 11% according to the Copenhagen criteria and 8% according to the preliminary European criteria. The frequency of primary Sjögren's syndrome in persons aged 30-60 years in Copenhagen may be estimated to be between 0.2% and 0.8% according to the Copenhagen criteria and between 0.6% and 2.1% according to the preliminary European criteria.