Biopsy of the lip and Sjögren's syndrome.

The degree of focal chronic sialadenitis in a labial salivary gland biopsy specimen, expressed in terms of a semiquantitative focus score, is the best contemporary assessment of the salivary component in Sjögren's syndrome. A labial salivary gland focus score of greater than 1 focus per 4 mm2 serves as an acceptable threshold for the diagnosis.