Patient Perception of Disease‐Related Symptoms and Complications in Relapsing Polychondritis

Abstract

Patient-reported data in RP highlight a significant burden of disease. Patterns of organ involvement may lead to diagnostic delay and influence treatment decisions, ultimately impacting the development of disease-related complications. Timely diagnosis, standardization of treatment approaches, and prevention of disease-related complications are major unmet needs in RP.

News on Relapsing Polychondritis: The Patient's Experience

“…For educational purposes, it should be noted that this percentage refers to the symptoms present prior to diagnosis . Ear chondritis is obviously a major clue to diagnose RP, but it frequently occurs after some delay, and therefore the reported initial symptoms are in part cumulative, as attested by the high (374%) sum of percentages . With regard to the very first manifestation(s) of RP, ear chondritis accounted for only 41% in our recent study, although the sum of percentages (in case there were several associated initial manifestations) was 176% .…”

“…Very recently, Shimizu et al reported that airway involvement was associated positively with nasal chondritis and negatively with external ear chondritis, but we had difficulties confirming this report . Similar studies would be difficult to draw from the article by Ferrada et al, partly because acquired nasal deformity, which can occur without any prior pain or inflammation, was not included in the survey .…”

“…A compilation of literature and personal cases carried out in 2000 on nearly 700 cases found this ratio to be only 1.21 . As the authors indicate, female patients probably are more inclined to answer online surveys . As a consequence, the results are not fully representative of the entire field of RP, and they did not allow for the study of sex‐related differences in RP features , especially with regard to myelodysplasia and its accompanying dermatologic manifestations .…”

“…In this issue of Arthritis Care & Research , Ferrada et al, the authors of Patient Perception of Disease‐Related Symptoms and Complications in Relapsing Polychondritis report for the first time the patient's view of the disease . Thanks go to them for this important step forward.…”

“…Unsurprisingly, the absence of ear/nose involvement was strongly associated with diagnostic delay in multivariable logistic regression. In such cases, a wrong diagnosis of asthma or bronchitis may have very detrimental consequences .…”