[Clinical characteristics of patients with relapsing polychodritis].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical characteristics of relapsing polychodritis (RP).

METHODS

Clinical features and laboratory data of 131 patients with RP were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The average age at onset was (44 ± 14) years (ranging from 9 to 76). Male to female ratio was 1.22:1. The most common onset symptom was respiratory system symptom (61.8%), followed by auricle lesions (16.0%), articular cartilage (15.3%), ocular region (7.6%), internal ear system (5.3%), nasal cartilages (4.6%), skin (2.3%) and nervous system (0.8%). During the whole course of the disease, 81.7% of the patients endured a respiratory system involvement; 77.9% and 56.5% of the patients suffered joint symptoms and nasal cartilages lesions, respectively; the involvement of auricle lesions, ocular region and internal ear system were 54.2%, 35.1% and 33.6%. Comparatively, the occurrence rates of skin lesion (10.7%), neurologic disorder (9.2%) and kidney system lesions (1.5%) were low. Analyzing of the laboratory examination data showed that 38.2% and 43.5% of the patients had an increase in white blood count (WBC) and platelet, 86.3% and 82.4% patients showed raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) values.

CONCLUSIONS

RP is a multi-system involvement disease, which has complicated clinical manifestations. Respiratory tract is the most common site involved, and respiratory system involvement is a prediction of unfavourable prognosis.