Different operators and histologic techniques in the assessment of germinal center-like structures in primary Sjögren's syndrome minor salivary glands

A standardization of minor salivary gland (MSG) histopathology in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) has been recently proposed. Although there is strong agreement that germinal center (GC)-like structures should be routinely identified, due to their prognostic value, a consensus regarding the best protocol is still lacking. Aim of this study was to compare the performance of different histological techniques and operators to identify GC-like structures in pSS MSGs. MSG biopsies from 50 pSS patients were studied.