Reproduction and gynaecological manifestations in women with primary Sjögren's syndrome: a case‐control study

Abstract

Background: The impact of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) on reproduction and gynaecological manifestations has seldom been explored.

Aim of study: Assess gynaecological aspects, gynaecological interventions, and use of contraceptives in a population of pSS‐patients versus controls.

Methods: In a case‐control study, 58 pSS‐patients and 157 controls answered a self‐administered questionnaire, covering demographic data, reproductive events, gynaecological problems, and gynaecological interventions.

Results: Significantly more patients than controls reported episodes of amenorrhoea lasting for more than 3 months, and more patients suffered from menorrhagia/metrorhagia compared with controls (54.5% versus 35.7%; p = 0.012). Complaints of vaginal dryness were common among the patients (52.9% versus 28.3%; p = 0.005). Endometriosis was reported to occur more frequently in the patients (8.5% versus 2.1%; p = 0.03), and 6.3% of pSS‐patients reported having undergone surgical intervention for endometriosis versus 0.7% of the controls (p = 0.009). Positive information about surgery for endometriosis correlated with the presence of the autoantibodies anti‐SSA (r = 0.322; p = 0.008) and anti‐SSB (r = 0.313; p = 0.01). Among the pSS‐patients, 5.9% had chosen not to have children due to the disease, but there was no indication of reduced fertility as judged by the number of pregnancies.

Conclusion: Patients with pSS reported more gynaecological problems than controls, including vaginal sicca symptoms, endometriosis, several episodes of amenorrhoea, and menorrhagia/mertrorhagia.