Polychondritis is a disease of the cartilage. The disease occurs with a very low frequency in the population. In some cases, polychondritis is also known as panchondritis and polychondritis atropicans. The disease is associated with rheumatic factors. Typical for polychondritis are inflammations of the cartilage, which occur again and again. In this way, the stability of the cartilage is gradually reduced.
What is polychondritis?
As a result of the chronic inflammatory conditions of the cartilage in polychondritis, the tissue softens. As a result, the cartilage may become deformed and, after some time, is no longer able to fully perform its normal functions. The disease was first described in 1923 by a specialist in internal medicine, Doctor von Jaksch. A synonym for polychondritis is Meyenburg-Altherr-Uehlinger syndrome. The disease extends over a long period of time and leads to gradual destruction of the cartilage. To date, the causes of the disease have not been fully elucidated. Since it is assumed that the immune system is involved, polychondritis is now considered to be one of the autoimmune diseases.
Causes
So far, the causes for the development of polychondritis are still unclear. Only some assumptions already exist, but they are not yet confirmed. However, numerous physicians and researchers assume that certain autoimmune processes are involved in the development of the disease. For this reason, polychondritis is included in the category of autoimmune diseases.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
Typical of polychondritis are a number of symptoms that are usually very similar in affected patients. Thus, in the context of polychondritis, the affected individuals suffer from inflammation of the cartilage that occurs recurrently. The time between the episodes ranges from several weeks to several months. Due to the inflammatory processes inside the cartilage, it loses stability. Over time, the cartilage is less and less able to perform its usual functions and tasks. In principle, it is possible for polychondritis to occur in all areas of the human organism that contain cartilage. However, it turns out that especially the joints are most likely to be affected by the inflammatory processes. Inflammation of cartilage is usually accompanied by pain in the affected areas. In most cases, the pain is perceived as very intense by the affected patients. Polychondritis can also occur in the nose and ear areas. This applies at least to those areas that have cartilage. Due to a loss of strength in the cartilage of the nose, it moves downwards. As a result, there is a more or less visible change in the shape and appearance of the nose. When polychondritis occurs in the area of the ears and the cartilage localized there, a so-called perichondritis usually develops in parallel. In addition, polychondritis may be accompanied by some other potential complaints. These include, for example, inflammation of the eyes, deterioration of hearing and even hearing loss, and diseases of the valves of the heart. Sometimes difficulty breathing develops as a result of polychondritis, especially when the cartilage of the larynx is affected by the disease. Although the disease can occur in all cartilaginous organs and tissues of the organism, polychondritis manifests itself primarily in those cartilages that are often affected by arthritis. In addition, the cartilages of the nose and ears are frequently affected by the recurrent inflammations. In the process, a so-called saddle nose develops in numerous patients. The typical deformations of the ear are also called cauliflower ear.
Diagnosis and course
Various methods of examination technique are suitable for the diagnosis of polychondritis. If the disease is suspected, the symptoms should be promptly clarified by an appropriate specialist. At this point, the patient interview takes place, which the physician conducts with the affected person. Here, the patient is encouraged to describe all complaints as precisely as possible to the attending specialist.The doctor also asks questions with regard to the person’s living conditions and consumption habits. In this way, he is able to make a tentative diagnosis of the disease. The suspicion is verified and strengthened in the second step of the diagnosis by means of various examination procedures. Laboratory tests reveal typical characteristic values, such as an increase in C-reactive protein, an increased concentration of antibodies, and various rheumatism markers. In addition, ECG examinations and hearing tests are usually performed.
Complications
In most cases, polychondritis results in inflammation of the cartilage. This inflammation can be associated with pain and other symptoms. Usually, complications occur when this inflammation is not treated and, in the process, spreads to other regions of the body. The stability of the cartilage is significantly reduced by polychondritis, so that the patient may experience difficulties in everyday life. Likewise, the patient’s load-bearing capacity is generally reduced and most of those affected suffer from joint wear. Severe pain occurs, especially during exertion, so that sporting activities are also no longer possible for the affected person. In children, polychondritis can also delay development. In many cases, polychondritis also spreads to the eyes, so that eye inflammation can occur. Similarly, cardiac symptoms may become apparent, with respiratory symptoms also occurring. Polychondritis is treated with the help of medication. As a rule, there are no complications. A healthy lifestyle also has a very positive effect on polychondritis.
When should you go to the doctor?
A gradual decrease in physical strength is a sign of a health irregularity. A doctor should be consulted as soon as the affected person consciously notices the decline in physical strength or there are impairments in everyday life. A feeling of inflammation in the organism, irritability or an increased body temperature should be presented to a doctor. If general functional disturbances appear, this is an alarming signal which should be clarified. Loss of hearing, reddened eyes or irregularities of the heart rhythm should be examined and treated. A doctor is needed if there is a feeling of illness, general malaise, and impaired breathing. Deformations of the face should be interpreted as a warning signal of the organism. Changes in the shape of the nose or ears should therefore be discussed with a doctor. If instability is perceived in the physical regions where cartilage can be palpated, the observations should be discussed with a physician. Particularly in the face, the strength of the cartilage can be checked and adjusted in the area of the nose in polychondritis with a few simple steps. Pain, which is described by the patient as very intense, is also characteristic of the disease. A visit to the doctor is necessary so that it comes to the administration of the right medicines.
Treatment and therapy
When acute inflammation occurs in polychondritis, cortisone is often used. Otherwise, therapeutic measures are based primarily on where the symptoms are localized. Accompanying symptoms of polychondritis are, for example, diseases of the blood vessels, conjunctivitis and sensorineural hearing loss. In connection with polychondritis, a loss of body weight, fatigue as well as night sweats are also complaints that may require therapy.
Prevention
Because the causes of polychondritis have not been sufficiently researched, no firm statements exist regarding prevention of the disease.
Aftercare
In most cases, there are no special and direct measures of aftercare available to those affected by polychondritis. With this disease, a doctor should ideally be contacted at an early stage so that further worsening of the symptoms or further complications can be prevented. Self-healing of polychondritis cannot occur, so treatment by a physician must always be provided. The treatment of polychondritis is usually carried out by the use of various creams or ointments that contain cortisone and can relieve the symptoms permanently.Here, affected persons should in any case pay attention to the correct use and dosage of the creams so that the complaints can be permanently and properly alleviated. Since polychondritis can also lead to strong other side effects and complaints, these should also be treated properly. In particular, the loss of body weight should be treated so that deficiency symptoms do not occur. As a rule, no special aftercare is still necessary. If the polychondritis is detected late, this can possibly lead to hearing damage, so that affected persons are thereby dependent on wearing a hearing aid.
What you can do yourself
Since it is not yet known exactly how polychondritis develops, only its symptoms can be treated. For example, hearing loss is compensated with a hearing aid and eye inflammation is treated with drops. Polychondritis is considered an autoimmune disease, so alternative therapies can curb the disease and reduce inflammatory flare-ups. Alternative therapies include, for example, elimination or detoxification. There are now many substances known to detoxify, such as healing clay, various homeopathics, phytopharmaceuticals or orthomolecular substances. Patients should seek advice here from appropriately trained physicians or alternative practitioners. Special attention in autoimmune diseases should be paid to the intestinal culture. It should be maintained with fresh, high-fiber food, little alcohol, sugar and fat. At the same time, patients should be careful to eat enough, despite possible pain, to avoid unnecessary weight loss. Even though sports are no longer an option for most polychondritis patients, they should exercise as much as possible. Extensive walks in the fresh air support the immune system in its fight against the inflammatory substances in the body. Established rest periods and sufficient sleep also support healing. Patients with polychondritis should also avoid nicotine. Self-help groups are a good way of exchanging information with other patients. The German Rheumatism League has corresponding addresses available (www.rheuma-liga.de).
