[Rheumatic manifestations of Gougerot-Houwers-Sjögren syndrome]

The authors retrospectively survey the concept of the Gougerot-Houwers-5jögren syndrome which links articular disease with the "dry" syndrome (pharyngitis sicca) and then go on to study the rheumatic conditions found in the Gougerot-Houwers-Sjögren syndrome. They point out that the association between the "dry" syndrome and rheumatic appearances varies in frequency according as whether the problem is seen from a rheumatological, dermatological, ophthalmological or stomatological point of view. They establish the frequency of the various rheumatic conditions, stressing the importance of the association with rheumatoid polyarthritis. They study the associated biological and visceral backgrounds, the thyroid, renal, digestive, blood, neural, allergic and immunological conditions and describe the rheumatic appearances of the other collagenoses associated with the "dry" syndrome. They conclude with the current difficulty of restricting the scope of the Gougerot-Houwers-Sjögren syndrome when histological and scintigraphic techniques have broadened it. They would like to see exact criteria adopted to define this syndrome.