Tennis star Venus Williams has withdrawn from this year's U.S. Open championship after being recently diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, according to a news story in the New York Times.
Sjögren's syndrome profoundly affects dental care and since more than half of the symptoms are oral, dentists often have the first opportunity to diagnose the disease, according to an earlier report by DrBicuspid.com.
In primary Sjögren's syndrome, the patient's own immune system attacks the salivary and tear glands, causing dryness of the mouth and eyes and increasing their risk of caries as well as B-cell lymphomas. Many also experience inflammatory arthritis and neurological, cutaneous, hematologic, or pulmonary problems.
Williams announced her withdrawal from this year's tournament just before she was due to play her second round match against No. 22 ranked Sabine Lisicki of Germany on August 31, according to a news report on the U.S. Open website.
"I'm really disappointed to have to withdraw from this year's U.S. Open. I have been recently diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease which is an ongoing medical condition that affects my energy level and causes fatigue and joint pain," she stated in the U.S. Open report. "I enjoyed playing my first match here and wish I could continue but right now I am unable to. I am thankful I finally have a diagnosis and am now focused on getting better and returning to the court soon."
