<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> In message Sat, 9 Dec 1995 10:45:30 -0800, Lisa McKinney <[log in to unmask]> writes: > Sjogren's Syndrome: a symptom complex of unknown etiology, usually > occurring in middle-aged or older women, marked by keratoconjunctivitis > sicca, xerostomia, and enlargement of the parotid glands; it is often > associated with rheumatoid arthritis and sometimes with systemic lupus > erythematosus, scleroderma, or polymyositis. An abnormal immune > response has been implicated. Called also Gougerot-Nuloch-Houwer > syndrome, sicca syndrome and Sjogren's disease. My physician has repeatedly told me that my dry eyes/lips are something I'll just have to live with, and he doesn't think much of the Sjogren's disease possibility. Could any of the medical people on-line comment on the link between the parotid gland (a salivary gland) and dry eyes/Sjogren's? I had my left parotid gland removed in 1986 due to a benign mixed tumor, and started having severe dry eye problems in February 1995, after being on a strict gluten-free diet for several years. Could there be a connection? I am a woman in my thirties, so I don't fit the "middle aged or older" profile like some of the others who've written in. Laura [log in to unmask] Ithaca, NY, USA