Question: What is (are) Relapsing polychondritis ?
Answer: Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare condition characterized by recurrent inflammation of cartilage and other tissues throughout the body. Cartilage is a tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of bones at a joint, and gives shape and support to other parts of the body. Ear involvement is the most common feature, but a variety of other areas of the body may be affected, including the costal (rib) cartilage, eyes, nose, airways, heart, vascular (veins) system, skin, joints, kidney, and nervous system. The signs and symptoms vary from person to person depending on which parts of the body are affected. The exact underlying cause of RP is unknown; however, scientists suspect that it is an autoimmune condition. The primary goals of treatment for people with RP are to relieve present symptoms and to preserve the structure of the affected cartilage.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Relapsing polychondritis ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Relapsing polychondritis? Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is characterized by recurrent inflammation of cartilage (the tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of bones at a joint) and other tissues throughout the body. The features of the condition and the severity of symptoms vary significantly from person to person, but may include: Ear: The ears are the most commonly affected body part. Symptoms include a sudden onset of pain, swelling, and tenderness of the cartilage of one or both ears. The pinna usually loses firmness and becomes floppy; hearing impairment may also occur. Inflammation of the inner ear may also cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or ataxia. Joint: The second most common finding is joint pain with or without arthritis. Eye: Affected people may experience episcleritis, uveitis and/or scleritis. Scleritis may lead to a bluish or dark discoloration of the sclera (white of the eye) and may even be associated with vision loss in severe cases. Proptosis (bulging out of one or both eye balls) may also be a symptom of RP. Nose: Nasal cartilage inflammation may lead to stuffiness, crusting, rhinorrhea, epistaxis (nose bleeds), compromised sense of smell and/or saddle nose deformity (a condition where the nose is weakened and thus "saddled" in the middle). Airways: Inflammation may affect the larynx, trachea (windpipe), and bronchi (tubes that branch off the trachea and carry air to the lungs). Airway involvement may lead to a cough, wheezing, hoarseness and recurrent infections. It can become life-threatening if not properly diagnosed and managed. Less commonly, RP may affect the heart, kidneys, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and/or vascular (veins) system. Nonspecific symptoms such as fever, weight loss, malaise, and fatigue may also be present. In approximately one third of affected people, RP is associated with other medical problems. Conditions reportedly associated with RP include hematological disease (including Hodgkin's lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndromes); gastrointestinal disorders (including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis); endocrine diseases (including diabetes mellitus type 1 and thyroid disorders) and others. Episodes of RP may last a few days or weeks and typically resolve with or without treatment. However, it is generally progressive, and many people have persistent symptoms in between flares. The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Relapsing polychondritis. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Abnormality of the nose 90% Arthralgia 90% Arthritis 90% Chondritis 90% Chondritis of pinna 90% External ear malformation 90% Abnormality of temperature regulation 50% Abnormality of the aortic valve 50% Abnormality of the pericardium 50% Abnormality of the voice 50% Aneurysm 50% Autoimmunity 50% Cartilage destruction 50% Cataract 50% Dilatation of the ascending aorta 50% Inflammatory abnormality of the eye 50% Limitation of joint mobility 50% Osteolysis 50% Periorbital edema 50% Proptosis 50% Sinusitis 50% Vasculitis 50% Vertigo 50% Abnormality of the endocardium 7.5% Abnormality of the liver 7.5% Abnormality of the mitral valve 7.5% Abnormality of the myocardium 7.5% Abnormality of the oral cavity 7.5% Anemia 7.5% Arrhythmia 7.5% Arterial thrombosis 7.5% Conductive hearing impairment 7.5% Congestive heart failure 7.5% Coronary artery disease 7.5% Cranial nerve paralysis 7.5% Encephalitis 7.5% Gangrene 7.5% Glomerulopathy 7.5% Hematuria 7.5% Hemiplegia/hemiparesis 7.5% Hypermelanotic macule 7.5% Incoordination 7.5% Laryngomalacia 7.5% Myelodysplasia 7.5% Proteinuria 7.5% Recurrent respiratory infections 7.5% Renal insufficiency 7.5% Respiratory insufficiency 7.5% Sensorineural hearing impairment 7.5% Skin ulcer 7.5% Subcutaneous hemorrhage 7.5% Thrombophlebitis 7.5% Tinnitus 7.5% Tracheal stenosis 7.5% Tracheomalacia 7.5% Urticaria 7.5% The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: What causes Relapsing polychondritis ?
Answer: What causes relapsing polychondritis? The exact underlying cause of relapsing polychondritis (RP) is unknown. However, scientists suspect that it is an autoimmune condition. It it thought that RP occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own cartilage and other tissues. In general, autoimmune conditions are complex traits that are associated with the effects of multiple genes in combination with lifestyle and environmental factors. There is also evidence to suggest that some people may be born with a genetic susceptibility to RP. Studies have found that people with RP are roughly twice as likely as those without this condition to carry a certain genetic allele called HLA-DR4. "HLA" stands for human leukocyte antigen, which is an important part of our immune system and plays a role in resistance and predisposition (risk) to disease. However, HLA genes are not solely responsible for specific diseases but instead may simply contribute along with other genetic or environmental factors to disease risk. Thus, many people with HLA-DR4 will never develop RP.
Source: GARD

Question: Is Relapsing polychondritis inherited ?
Answer: Is relapsing polychondritis inherited? Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is not passed through families in a clear-cut fashion. Most people with relapsing polychondritis do not have affected relatives. Like many other autoimmune conditions, RP is likely a multifactorial condition which is associated with the effects of multiple genes in combination with lifestyle and environmental factors. In general, having a first degree relative (for example a parent, child, or sibling) with an autoimmune condition may increase your personal risk for developing an autoimmune condition. Unfortunately, no specific risk estimates are available for relapsing polychondritis.
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Relapsing polychondritis ?
Answer: How is relapsing polychondritis diagnosed? There are no tests available that are specific for relapsing polychondritis (RP). A diagnosis is, therefore, generally based on the presence of characteristic signs and symptoms. For example, people may be diagnosed as having RP if they have three or more of the following features: Inflammation of the cartilage of both ears Seronegative (negative for rheumatoid factor) polyarthritis (arthritis that involves 5 or more joints simultaneously) Inflammation of the cartilage of the nose Eye inflammation (conjunctivitis, episcleritis, scleritis, and/or uveitis) Inflammation of the cartilage of the airway Vestibular dysfunction (i.e. vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus) In some cases, a biopsy of affected tissue may be necessary to support the diagnosis.
Source: GARD