Secondary Sjogren's includes autoimmune diseases in its diagnosis.

• A. False
• B. Rarely true
• C. Only when RA is present
• D. True

Answer: (D)

Secondary Sjogren's is defined by the appearance of Sjogren's syndrome in the setting of another autoimmune connective tissue disease. This means that the presence of another autoimmune condition is part of how the diagnosis is made, distinguishing it from primary Sjogren's, which occurs without any other autoimmune disease. The coexisting diseases most commonly include rheumatoid arthritis, but lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis can also be present. Because a concurrent autoimmune disease is integral to labeling Sjogren's as secondary, the statement is true. It’s not limited to RA alone; several autoimmune conditions can accompany Sjogren's in this context.