Pharyngeal muscle paralysis may lead to aspiration pneumonia, a frequent terminal event in these patients. The incidence of coexistent carcinoma is probably not as great as is often assumed. Therefore exhaustive search for malignancy is seldom warranted. This is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by xerostomia, xerophthalmia, and enlargement of the salivary glands. Lymphocytic infiltration of the mucous glands of the tracheo-bronchial tree with resulting atrophy causes dryness of the mucosa, inspissation of secretions, followed by tracheobronchitis, recurrent infections, and atelectasis.
Pneumonia is a common cause of death.
Diffuse interstitial fibrosis identical to that in other collagen vascular diseases may occur. A variety of Iymphoproliferative disorders ranging from the benign Iymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis to malignant Iymphoma occur but are very uncommon. Lymphoma usually causes areas of consolidation, nodular or mass-like lesions, and Iymphadenopathy and pleural effusion. Tissue Disease Overlap syndromes combining features of RA, SLE, PSS, PM-DM have been described. A subgroup of the overlap syndrome has been identified in which antibodies to the ribonucleoprotein component of extractable nuclear antigens are found.