RT Book, Section
A1 Langford, Carol A.
A2 Jameson, J. Larry
A2 Fauci, Anthony S.
A2 Kasper, Dennis L.
A2 Hauser, Stephen L.
A2 Longo, Dan L.
A2 Loscalzo, Joseph
SR Print(0)
ID 1156607144
T1 Relapsing Polychondritis
T2 Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 20e
YR 2018
FD 2018
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781259644016
LK accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1156607144
RD 2024/04/20
AB Relapsing  polychondritis  is  an  uncommon  disorder  of  unknown  cause  characterized  by  inflammation  of  cartilage  predominantly  affecting  the  ears,  nose,  and  laryngotracheobronchial  tree.  Other  manifestations  include  scleritis,  neurosensory  hearing  loss,  polyarthritis,  cardiac  abnormalities,  skin  lesions,  and  glomerulonephritis.  Relapsing  polychondritis  has  been  estimated  to  have  an  incidence  of  3.5  per  million  population  per  year.  The  peak  age  of  onset  is  between  the  ages  of  40  and  50  years,  but  relapsing  polychondritis  may  affect  children  and  the  elderly.  It  is  found  in  all  races,  and  both  sexes  are  equally  affected.  No  familial  tendency  is  apparent.  A  significantly  higher  frequency  of  HLA-DR4  has  been  found  in  patients  with  relapsing  polychondritis  than  in  healthy  individuals.  A  predominant  subtype  allele(s)  of  HLA-DR4  was  not  found.  Approximately  30%  of  patients  with  relapsing  polychondritis  will  have  another  rheumatologic  disorder,  the  most  frequent  being  systemic  vasculitis,  followed  by  rheumatoid  arthritis,  and  systemic  lupus  erythematosus  (SLE).  Nonrheumatic  disorders  have  also  been  associated  with  relapsing  polychondritis  (Table  359-1).  In  most  cases,  these  disorders  antedate  the  appearance  of  relapsing  polychondritis,  usually  by  months  or  years;  however,  in  other  instances,  the  onset  of  relapsing  polychondritis  can  accompany  disease  presentation.