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Relapsing Polychondritis (cont.)
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Catherine Burt Driver, MD
Catherine Burt Driver, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Driver is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She currently is in active practice in the field of rheumatology in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she is a partner in Mission Internal Medical Group.
In this Article
- Relapsing polychondritis facts
- What is relapsing polychondritis?
- What causes relapsing polychondritis?
- What are symptoms and signs of relapsing polychondritis?
- How is relapsing polychondritis diagnosed?
- Can relapsing polychondritis be associated with other diseases?
- What medications are used to treat relapsing polychondritis?
- What is the long-term outlook (prognosis) for patients with relapsing polychondritis?
- Find a local Rheumatologist in your town
How is relapsing polychondritis diagnosed?
Relapsing polychondritis is diagnosed when the doctor recognizes the classic pattern of cartilage involvement during the history and physical examination. The symptoms described above can suggest the disease.
There is no one specific test for diagnosing relapsing polychondritis. Blood tests that indicate inflammation, such as an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, and others, are often abnormal when the disease is active.
If tissue cartilage is biopsied, the involved cartilage will demonstrate nonspecific signs of inflammation.
Can relapsing polychondritis be associated with other diseases?
Yes. The doctor will be interested in determining whether or not signs of the following diseases are present along with relapsing polychondritis: vasculitis, Wegener's granulomatosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's disease, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Behcet's disease, Churg-Strauss syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa, myelodysplasia, and others.
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