Labial minor salivary gland biopsy: a highly discriminatory diagnostic method between sarcoidosis and Sjögren's...

Sixty labial minor salivary gland biopsies (lip biopsies) from 32 patients with sarcoidosis and 28 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome were evaluated retrospectively and blindly. Six biopsies revealed typical sarcoid granulomata. All six belonged to patients with previously diagnosed sarcoidosis. Twelve lip biopsies, all from sarcoidosis patients, were classified as presenting 1+ or less lymphoid infiltrates according to Tarpley's classification. The biopsies of the remaining 14 patients with sarcoidosis showed normal tissues. Finally, 28 biopsies were classified as having 2+ or 3+ lymphoid infiltrates and/or fibrosis. All belonged to patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Our results indicate that lip biopsy has a rather low diagnostic yield in sarcoidosis (19%) but, more importantly, it can discriminate very well between sarcoidosis and Sjögren's syndrome.