Evaluation of lacrimal gland vascularization using superb microvascular imaging: A potential diagnostic tool in Sjögren's syndrome.

This study focuses on evaluating superb microvascular imaging (SMI) of the lacrimal glands as a sonographic tool for diagnosing primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), an autoimmune disease characterized by dry eyes and glandular hypofunction. In a comparison of 21 pSS patients and 20 healthy controls, SMI demonstrated significantly higher detection rates of lacrimal gland vascularity than colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) and power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS), correlating positively with clinical dry eye indices. The findings suggest that SMI is a reliable, noninvasive adjunctive method with excellent predictive value for pSS, outperforming traditional Doppler techniques in assessing lacrimal gland involvement. Further large-scale studies are recommended to validate SMI’s role in disease monitoring and therapeutic guidance.