Dry syndrome is a diffuse connective tissue disease that mainly invades the exocrine glands such as lacrimal and salivary glands, with dry mouth and dry eyes as the main clinical manifestations, and can also involve several other organs. Currently there is no cure, and symptomatic supportive treatment is the mainstay.
The etiology and exact pathogenesis of dry syndrome are unknown. Clinical symptoms are mostly related to hyposecretion of glands, such as dry mouth, dry keratoconjunctivitis, and in severe cases, frequent drinking of water when speaking, no tears when crying, and so on. It can also be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fatigue and low fever, and in more severe cases, the kidneys, respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system and blood system can be involved.
At present, there is no clinical cure for dry syndrome, and symptomatic supportive treatment is the mainstay, such as the application of artificial tears and saliva to improve dry mouth and eyes. For patients with extra-glandular manifestations such as arthritis, interstitial lung changes, liver, kidney and neurological and other systemic changes, glucocorticoids such as prednisone and immunosuppressants such as methotrexate should be given active treatment.
It is recommended that patients with dry syndrome should consult the rheumatology and immunology department in a timely manner, under the guidance of doctors for standardized treatment and regular follow-up.