Red ears and joint pain? ——Understanding relapsing polychondritis

Author: Ren Zhenhui, deputy chief nurse, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College

Reviewer: Ma Haijun, deputy chief physician of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College

Recently, Xiao Wang found that his right ear began to swell and hurt for unknown reasons, and the pain became increasingly severe, leaving Xiao Wang completely confused. What was going on?

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Xiao Wang came to the hospital with doubts, and the doctor finally diagnosed it as "relapsing polychondritis" and told him that it was an autoimmune disease.

Xiao Wang asked curiously: "What is relapsing polychondritis?"

Relapsing polychondritis is a systemic inflammatory disease that affects cartilage and proteoglycan-rich tissues. The condition is characterized by recurrent inflammation of the cartilage, with common sites of involvement including the ears, nose, throat, trachea, eyes, and joints.

Its common symptoms are as follows.

(1) The auricle is red, swollen, and painful, and the symptoms recur repeatedly, resulting in cauliflower ear deformity, sudden deafness, and tinnitus;

(2) The bridge of the nose is sunken and saddle-shaped;

(3) Hoarseness, cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing;

(4) Photophobia and eye pain;

(5) Pain and swelling in joints (hands, fingers, shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles, toes, pelvis, etc.);

(6) Rib pain;

(7) Dysphagia;

(8) Skin involvement;

(9) Kidney involvement.

Among them, inflammation and deformity of the ear and nasal cartilage, namely "cauliflower ear" and "saddle nose deformity", are characteristic manifestations of relapsing polychondritis.

This disease can occur at any age. Because it may only manifest as ear symptoms at the beginning, people often do not pay enough attention to it.

After hearing this, Xiao Wang asked anxiously: "What is an autoimmune disease? Does this mean that my immunity is low?"

Autoimmune disease is not a low immune system, but an abnormally active or disordered immune system, which causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the body's own healthy tissues. It may be related to immune dysfunction, genetics, environmental factors, etc. The age of onset is usually 30 to 60 years old. The manifestations and first symptoms of this disease vary, and the manifestations are diverse, mainly affecting the cartilage in the ears and joints.

Xiao Wang asked, not quite understanding, "This disease is called relapsing polychondritis. Does that mean I'm 'inflamed'?"

The "inflammation" in relapsing polychondritis does not refer to the "inflammation" that ordinary people talk about, but a concept related to autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune disease refers to a disease caused by the body's immune response to its own antigens, which leads to damage or dysfunction of its own tissues. In layman's terms, the immune system attacks itself.

Xiao Wang quickly asked: "Doctor, can this disease be treated? How can I treat it?"

Depending on the condition and complications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to treat mild joint diseases, but glucocorticoids are the first choice to reduce cartilage inflammation.

Finally, the doctor reminded Xiao Wang that he could improve his immune system by taking the following four steps: (1) quit smoking and drinking, and do moderate physical exercise;

(2) Ensure adequate sleep and avoid overwork;

(3) Maintain a good mood and avoid infection and cold;

(4) If you feel unwell, seek medical attention promptly and take medication as directed by your doctor.

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Warm reminder: Relapsing polychondritis is a rare autoimmune disease that affects multiple systems throughout the body, including cartilage and other connective tissues throughout the body. Patients often delay diagnosis and treatment due to hidden onset and atypical symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the popularization and cognition of the disease. If symptoms such as "cauliflower ears" and "saddle nose deformity" occur, you must seek medical attention in time to avoid life-threatening severe illness. It is very important to seek medical attention in time, make a clear diagnosis and early treatment.