[A new method to evaluate xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome]

The extension of wetting in a standardized piece of filter paper was used to evaluate saliva output in 26 patients with Sjogren syndrome and 101 control subjects. The mean value for normals was 33.6 +/- 6.8 mm/5 min without significant differences for age and sex. Corresponding value for patients with Sjogren syndrome was 11.8 +/- 13.9 Accordingly, this is a simple and sensitive method to quantify xerostomia.