Health/ Health Reference/ Relapsing Polychondritis

 

Surgeon Mistaken About Relapsing Polychondritis

Relapsing Polychondritis is a disease that only affects the cartilage of your ribs, the highly regarded surgeon informed me today.

I politely, tell the surgeon that he is mistaken and Relapsing Polychondritis can affect cartilage throughout your body.

The doctor ignores me and goes on to say to me that both of my MRI reports are incorrect.

What? Huh? I inquire.

The surgeon goes on to tell me that most MRI reports are incorrect and you can never rely on the report.

The doctor proceeds to move my right shoulder and arm in several directions.

The shoulder movements cause pain, but not extreme pain.

I remind the doctor that my pain management specialist has given my bicep, shoulder and neck injections.

The surgeon then looks at my MRI and looks at me says, what do you think caused your shoulder and bicep to hurt?

Relapsing Polychondritis, I reply.

The surgeon then looks at my medication list and tells me that if it is nearly impossible to have frozen shoulder if you are on Prednisone.

I quickly respond that I am on Prednisone for the Relapsing Polychondritis and Sheehan’s Syndrome.

The doctor stares at me and asks, what is Sheehan’s Syndrome?

I blurt, I hemorrhaged at childbirth, and it caused necrosis of the pituitary gland.

Sheehan’s Syndrome is the same as Hypopitutiary.

I go on to say; I take a replacement dose of Prednisone to survive.

The surgeon’s facial expressions, teeter totters between compassion and dismissiveness.

The surgeon then directs my attention to the MRI and shows me why I do not have Frozen Shoulder or a torn Rotator Cuff and recommends I see a pain management doctor.

Any questions, he asks?

I already have a pain management doctor, I reply.

No, reply from the surgeon.

My appointment is over.

I am frustrated that this experienced surgeon was authoritative Relapsing Polychondritis incorrect response.

Sadly, many Rheumatologists have also told me that Relapsing Polychondritis does not affect the skin.

These Rheumatologists are mistaken.

Relapsing Polychondritis can affect the skin.

Here is a Relapsing Polychondritis abstract from the National Institute of Health:

https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/7417/relapsing-polychondritis

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare condition characterized by recurrent inflammation of the cartilage and other tissues throughout the body.

Cartilage is a tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of bones at a joint and gives shape and support to other parts of the body.

Ear involvement is the most common feature, but a variety of other areas of the body may be affected, including the costal (rib) cartilage, eyes, nose, airways, heart, vascular (veins) system, skin, joints, kidney, and nervous system.

Symptoms Of Relapsing Polychondritis 

The signs and symptoms vary from person to person depending on which parts of the body are affected.

 

 

If you are interested in reading additional information about Relapsing Polychondritis, then you may find these health information references helpful.

 

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/2189160
Abstract ( R.P. and Vasculitis )
Relapsing polychondritis is a systemic disease of unknown etiology with predominate manifestations of multiorgan cartilaginous inflammation. Although relapsing polychondritis occurs predominantly as a separately defined clinical complex, a significant number of patients may suffer from another rheumatic disease. Vasculitic syndromes are the most commonly observed disorders associated with relapsing polychondritis.

http://www.neurology.org/content/38/1/150.short
ABSTRACT (R.P. and Systemic Vasculitis)
Recurrent inflammation of cartilage in multiple sites is a hallmark of relapsing polychondritis (RP). Neurologic complications of this disease have begun to attract increasing attention, but the neuropathologic basis of these complications has not been described. We report a patient with RP whose autopsy showed extensive cerebral and systemic vasculitis.

http://journals.lww.com/co-rheumatology/Abstract/2004/01000/Relapsing_polychondritis.11.aspx
Abstract ( R.P. can involve noncartilaninous tissues)
Relapsing polychondritis is a unique, rare autoimmune disorder in which the cartilaginous tissues are the primary targets of destruction but the immune damage can spread to involve noncartilaginous tissues like the kidney, blood vessels, and so forth. The manifestations of the disease can take many different forms and the pathogenesis is still unclear. It may occur in a primary form or it may be associated with other disease states. This article summarizes important aspects of the disease with a focus on recent information regarding clinical manifestations, disease associations, pathogenesis, and advances in therapeutics.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0954611113001273
Abstract (R.P. trouble breathing)
2. Inflammatory/Infiltrative
Relapsing polychondritis
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s granulomatosis)
Sarcoidosis
Amyloidosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Miscellaneous: inflammatory bowel diseases

I hope this health reference, Surgeon Mistaken About Relapsing Polychondritis has been useful.

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