sicca syndrome n.
See Sjögren's syndrome.
sicca syndrome
chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by severe dryness of the eyes and the mouth that results from a diminution in secretion of tears and saliva. Dryness may also involve the nose, pharynx, larynx, and tracheobronchial tree. Approximately half the persons affected also have rheumatoid arthritis or, less commonly, some other connective-tissue disease, such as scleroderma, polymyositis, or systemic lupus erythematosus. The great majority of the persons affected by Sjogren's syndrome are women.
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