{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,4]],"date-time":"2026-07-04T00:26:35Z","timestamp":1783124795131,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,16]],"date-time":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1692144000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s disease (SD) is a chronic autoimmune disease primarily affecting lacrimal and salivary glands. The diagnosis of pediatric SD mostly relies on clinical suspect, resulting in a significant diagnostic delay. Recently, ultrahigh-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) of labial glands has been proposed as a diagnostic method in adults with suspected SD. Until now, there have been no studies about UHFUS in pediatric diagnostic work-up. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential role of UHFUS of minor salivary glands in pediatric SD. Consecutive pediatric patients with a diagnosis of pediatric SD seen at AOU Meyer IRCSS were evaluated. Intraoral UHFUS scan of the lip mucosa was performed with Vevo MD equipment, using a 70 MHz probe with a standardized protocol and the images were independently reviewed by two operators. Lip salivary glands were assessed by using a four-grade semiquantitative scoring system for parenchymal alteration and vascularization. Twelve patients were included. When applying UHFUS to this cohort of patients, all patients showed a UHFUS grade of \u22651 with 8\/12 showing a mild glandular alteration (i.e., grade 1), 2\/12 a moderate glandular alteration (i.e., grade 2) and finally 2\/12 a severe glandular alteration (i.e., grade 3). Moderate intraglandular vascularization was seen in 9\/12, with only 3\/12 showing mild intraglandular vascularization. Due to limited size of the sample, the relationship between histological findings, autoantibodies status and UHFUS grade could not be performed. This preliminary study seems to report UHFUS as feasibility technique to identify salivary gland alterations in children with a clinical suspect of SD.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics13162695","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,17]],"date-time":"2023-08-17T10:42:29Z","timestamp":1692268949000},"page":"2695","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasonography of Labial Glands in Pediatric Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s Disease: A Preliminary Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0346-3268","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edoardo","family":"Marrani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, AOU Meyer IRCCS, 50139 Firenze, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Fulvio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Camilla","family":"Virgili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, AOU Meyer IRCCS, 50139 Firenze, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4902-7813","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rossana","family":"Izzetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dentistry and Oral Surgery, AOU Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Dini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Unit, AOU Pisana, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Teresa","family":"Oranges","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Unit, AOU Meyer IRCCS, 50139 Firenze, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Baldini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5919-4861","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriele","family":"Simonini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Unit, AOU Meyer IRCCS, 50139 Firenze, Italy"},{"name":"Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA) Department, University of Firenze, 50139 Firenze, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbspin.2010.05.008","article-title":"Elderly onset of primary Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s syndrome: Clinical manifestations, serological features and oral\/ocular diagnostic tests. 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