Showing posts with label Relapsing Polychondritis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Relapsing Polychondritis. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Relapsing Polychondritis

Relapsing Polychondritis






Relapsing polychondritis is a rare chronic disorder that is marked by inflammation of cartilages. This disease is also known by other names like Meyenburg Altherr Uehlinger syndrome, chronic atrophic polychondritis and Von Meyenburg syndrome. It is categorized under the rheumatic disease and it occurs along with arthritis or lupus disorders. The word chondritis indicates inflammation of the cartilages.


Relapsing polychondritis occurs at any age and is prominent in later stage of adulthood. However this is a rare disorder affecting only 3 persons in one million people. It is marked by recurrent episodes and hence the name relapses. The disease can affect cartilages of any type and tissues of joints, ears, nose and trachea. Treatment is oriented for controlling the symptoms and is a chronic disorder.










Causes :


Exact cause of relapsing polychondritis is not known. But it is believed to be of autoimmune disorder. The body’s immune system starts attacking healthy tissues and cartilages causing destruction and inflammation. Autoimmune generated antibodies will destroy glycosaminoglycans which is a vital part of the connective tissues found on the cartilages.


Symptoms :


There will be sharp sudden pain on the cartilages or tissues. Some of the common signs of relapsing polychondritis are intense pain, swelling of joints, redness and swelling. The area becomes tender to touch and often it involves the tissues of nose, ears, throat and even eyes. People will experience moderate fever, weakness and sudden Weight Loss when these symptoms develop.


Swelling of nose and ears can cause deformity on the face due to weakened cartilages. It would impair normal hearing capacity due to the inflammation developed on the inner ear and Tinnitus.


In case the windpipe is inflamed it may cause shortness of breath and throat pain along with hoarseness in voice.


If the joints of hands and knees are swollen it would cause intense pain and stiffness. It can affect joints of any part like hands, legs, ankles and even feet. For some people it can affect your eyes causing partial loss of vision due to cataract Scleritis and Uveitis.


In rare cases relapsing polychondritis can affect the aorta causing aortic valve weakness and the tissues surrounding the heart (myocardial) are affected.


Skin infection can cause aphthous ulcer and nodules on the entire skin. This chronic disease will often infect 2 or 3 organs at the same time.


Diagnoses :


The doctor will diagnose the illness on seeing the symptoms. He would take out a small part of the affected tissue by biopsy for identifying the intensity of inflammation. Often it will affect ears, nose and throat tissues causing inflammation. No concrete testing procedure is available for detecting the disease since it is only a rare disorder.


Pictures of Relapsing Polychondritis :


Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Relapsing Polychondritis


Relapsing Polychondritis Relapsing Polychondritis Relapsing Polychondritis Relapsing Polychondritis
Treatment :


Corticosteroids are prescribed for suppressing the chemicals produced by immune system. Based on severity of symptoms, anti-inflammatory drugs are given for relieving the pain. Drugs like Methotrexate (non-steroid) and prednisone (corticosteroids) are given.


You can take over the counter antihistamines like ibuprofen and naprosyn to reduce the swelling and intense pain. For those affected with eyes and throat, high dosages of steroids are to be prescribed.
For some cases your doctor may give Cytoxan, dapsone, cyclosporine and remicade in combination with other drugs.


In rare cases, relapsing polychondritis would affect the windpipe blocking the airways causing death. Depending on the cartilages the disease has infected treatment has to be given.











Relapsing Polychondritis – Pictures, Symptoms, Causes, Diet, Treatment, Prognosis

Relapsing Polychondritis – Pictures, Symptoms, Causes, Diet, Treatment, Prognosis

What is Relapsing Polychondritis?


This is an extremely rare, multisystem disease that may be life-threatening, very difficult to diagnose as well as debilitating. It is categorized by repeated, possibly severe, as well as extremely frightening incidents of inflammation of cartilaginous tissues.










Cartilages that may develop inflammation at various times include nose, ears, joints, windpipe and spine. The heart, blood vessels and eye that all have a biochemical composition that is similar to cartilage, may also be affected.


Relapsing Polychondritis Symptoms


Ears

  • Redness

  • Pain

  • Cauliflower ear

  • Loss of hearing


Throat – Trachial and Bronchial

  • Hoarseness

  • Coughing

  • Redness in upper chest area

  • Pain

  • Shortness breath

  • Trouble breathing

  • Choking


Note that early involvement of the throat is usually severe and can be life threatening. An emergency tracheostomy may be needed due to obstruction of the airway.


Intubation or bronchoscopy can cause irritation which leads to airflow reduction. This irritation may take several hours to appear after the procedure. It does not appear to be an occurrence that is frequent but caution is needed after returning home from having such a procedure.



  • Joints – General pain with or without swelling

  • Sinus/Nose – Deterioration (saddle nose), blockage of sinuses, severe and frequent sinus Headaches. Fall is normally slow to the point of not being noticed until compared to some old photos.

  • Vision – Vision is blurred, headaches, epiScleritis, or scleritis


Inflammation of the joints is known as arthritis and causes pain, stiffness of all the joints in the knees, hands, wrist, ankles as well as feet.


With the eye inflammation, it can either be mild to severe and may damage the vision. Cataracts may be triggered by the inflammation or from any cortisone used in treating relapsing polychondritis.


Other areas of tissues that may develop inflammation can include the aorta (leads to aortic valve weakness or Aneurysm), tissues around or in the heart (leads to myocarditis and Pericarditis), and the skin and the nerves from the brain, (leads to cranial nerve palsies).


Relapsing Polychondritis Causes


The reason or cause of relapsing polychondritis is not known. It is believed that this disease is actually an autoimmunity disorder where the body’s own immunity system that normally fights off foreign invaders into the body, is for some reason misguided. This causes the inflammation to be directed at various healthy tissues in the body.


The list of complications of this disease is almost endless, and some of these include:



  • Loss of hearing in cases that are recurring

  • Weakness of the aortic valve

  • Aneurysm

  • Death


Relapsing Polychondritis Treatment


A characteristic assortment of symptoms and indications will produce a diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis. Lab tests are often cooperative. Cartilage biopsies of affected area can endorse the diagnosis. Often additional diagnostic tests are done in order to eliminate other conditions that are associated for instance Rheumatoid Arthritis. Also, it is very important to appraise the airway, but only approximately 10% of individuals will perish from any complications of the airway.
Inflammations which are mild may be treated by aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also known as NSAIDS like ibuprofen. Corticosteroids – usually prednisone – are normally prescribed for conditions that are more advanced and they do help with the illness.


You're reading Relapsing Polychondritis – Pictures, Symptoms, Causes, Diet, Treatment, Prognosis posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.








Oral corticosteroids are considered the mainstay for treatment of this illness. Preliminary doses of prednisone range from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg depending on the specific problems at presentation. They might have to be sustained over extensive time periods, in which case the use needs to be watched closely to avoid any difficulties.


Immune suppression with:



  • Cyclophosphamide

  • Cyclosporine

  • Azathioprine

  • Dapsone


is usually reserved for cases which are more aggressive.


A chest that is collapsed or collapsed airway may need surgical maintenance and an aorta or a heart valve can need replacing or repair.


When relapsing polychondritis is linked with a systemic Vasculitis, the treatment needs to be tailored to the underlying arteritis. Chronic care of the individual with this disorder requires periodic reassessment of the pulmonary, cardiovascular as well as renal systems.


While medical therapy that is conventional can help to relieve symptoms of relapsing polychondritis these treatments do not report the root of the problem. Normally, by undergoing wide-ranging natural medication testing, the reason that the body is producing the antibodies against itself can be discovered. It is believed that the reasons include allergies or sensitivities to foods, chemicals, infections and various inhalants.


Prognosis


There is currently no known cure for this disease. It only can be fought as indicated by each case of inflammation as well as deterioration of cartilaginous tissue. As this illness progresses over a period of years, the rate of mortality increases. At 5 years duration, relapsing polychondritis has a 30% rate of mortality.


Diet


On the internet there are several websites with individuals who have had this disease and have responded to nutritional strategies and responded well. A diet referred to as the McDougall Program is recommended by many as the best as well as the most practical. There is a book available under this name. The diet is basically a low-fat vegan diet, which means the elimination of all dairy products and eggs as well as the elimination of meat, fish and chicken. Many of the autoimmune diseases have responded favorably to this type of diet.


In short – try a “no animal proteins” in any form diet.






Relapsing Polychondritis Pictures


Relapsing Polychondritis

Relapsing Polychondritis

Relapsing Polychondritis

Relapsing Polychondritis