Diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasound and shear wave elastography of the parotid glands in primary Sjögren’s syndrome

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the OMERACT scoring system and shear wave elastography (SWE) of the parotid glands (PG) for primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). A total of 190 subjects were enrolled, comprising 79 patients diagnosed with pSS according to the 2016 ACR/EULAR classification criteria and 111 non-pSS individuals. After obtaining OMERACT scores (0–3) and SWE values using parotid gland ultrasonography, we defined an adjusted OMERACT score as the original score plus 1 point (not exceeding 3) when the PG SWE mean value exceeded the optimal cut-off of 12.3 kPa. The diagnostic performance of the OMERACT score, SWE mean, and the adjusted OMERACT score was then assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) for the OMERACT score in predicting pSS was 0.825, while the AUC for PG SWE mean was 0.852, with optimal cut-off values of 1 and 12.3 kPa, respectively. The corresponding sensitivities were 79.7% and 89.9%, and the specificities were 74.8% and 78.4%. Using this adjustment, the adjusted OMERACT score achieved an AUC of 0.912, with an optimal cut-off of 2, a sensitivity of 75.9%, and a specificity of 91.9%. The adjusted OMERACT score effectively distinguished the pSS group from the non-pSS group. The OMERACT scoring system and SWE demonstrate considerable clinical value in diagnosing pSS. They provide a practical and effective non-invasive approach that can be integrated into the diagnostic workflow, offering a more convenient and efficient examination for patients.