Relapsing polychondritis (RP)

 

Overview

Characterized by recurrent inflammation of the cartilage and other tissues, RP affects the ears, nose, joints, eyes, skin, heart valves, and brain.

Common Symptoms

Tenderness and swelling of cartilage in one or both ears, cartilage collapse at the bridge of the nose resulting in a saddle nose deformity, nasal stuffiness or fullness and crusting, pain and redness on the eyes, ears, and nose, vertigo, hearing loss, low grade, fever, loss of appetite, sore throat, anterior neck pain, and hoarseness.

Coexisting Diseases and Conditions

Hodgkin’s lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndromes, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diabetes mellitus type 1, thyroid disorders, arterial hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and Sjogren’s syndrome.

Risk Factors and Prevalence

RP has been found to affect males and females equally with diagnosis most commonly occurring at  40 to 60 years of age. Further research is still needed to identify specific environmental and genetic risk factors for the condition.

Sources

  1. Article Sources and Footnotes

    1. Borgia, F., Giuffrida, R., Guarneri, F., & Cannavò, S. P. (2018). Relapsing Polychondritis: An Updated Review. Biomedicines, 6(3), 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines6030084

    2. Maciążek-Chyra, B., Szmyrka, M., Skoczyńska, M., Sokolik, R., Lasocka, J., & Wiland, P. (2019). Relapsing polychondritis – analysis of symptoms and criteria. Reumatologia, 57(1), 8–18. https://doi.org/10.5114/reum.2019.83234

    3. Relapsing Polychondritis Foundation. (2021, April 21). Relapsing Polychondritis. https://polychondritis.org/.