Polyarteritis nodosa and Sjögren's syndrome: overlap syndrome

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) belongs to a group of necrotic angiitis. During the illness, necrotic changes are found in small and middle dimensions arteries. Primary Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic, autoimmunological systematic illness of connective tissue with characteristic infiltration of lymphocytes and plasmatic cells in endocrine glands. Despite the fact that both disease entities are well known and primary Sjögren's syndrome is the second most commonly appearing autoimmunological sickness, the coexistence of both simultaneously is described very rarely. So far only three such cases have been presented. The case of 53-year-old woman is presented, who since 2003 has been hospitalized due to her ailments several times, at surgery, internal medicine, and rheumatology wards. In 2006, she was admitted to rheumatology clinic of Pomeranian Medical University (PAM) to be diagnosed both subjectively and objectively. Additional examinations proved that she had been suffering from overlapping PAN and primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS). She fulfilled 5 out of 10 criteria for PAN and all criteria for PSS. For treatment the boluses of methyloprednisolon and cyclophosphamid every 4 weeks were used what resulted in curing the patient.