RESEARCH
PAPERS
Keep up-to-date with the latest research on RP. We'll continue to update this resource as more research becomes available.
Relapsing polychondritis - A single Centre study in the United Kingdom
This study examines lung and airway involvement in people with Relapsing Polychondritis, highlighting frequent diagnostic delays and the serious risks of respiratory complications. It supports early use of disease-modifying and biologic treatments to reduce long-term steroid exposure and organ damage.
This study compares chest CT scan findings in people with Relapsing Polychondritis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis to help distinguish between the two conditions. It identifies specific airway imaging features that can support a correct diagnosis and highlights that some signs traditionally thought to be specific to RP may be less reliable than previously believed.
Risk factors for the recurrence of relapsing Polychondritis (2022)
This study examines why relapses occur in Relapsing Polychondritis and identifies factors linked to a higher risk of recurrence. It found that airway involvement, high inflammation levels at diagnosis, and treatment with steroids alone were associated with earlier relapse, while combination therapy with immunosuppressants or biologics delayed recurrence.
French Practical Guidelines (2023)
French practical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of relapsing polychondritis.
Protocole national de diagnostic et de soins pour la polychondrite chronique atrophiante
This review outlines recent advances in understanding Relapsing Polychondritis, including the identification of three distinct patient clusters with different symptoms and prognoses. It also highlights new conditions that can mimic RP, such as VEXAS syndrome, helping clinicians improve diagnosis, management and long-term outcomes.
Miss the ear, and you may miss the diagnosis
This clinical case highlights how painful, red, swollen ears that spare the earlobes can be an early and important sign of Relapsing Polychondritis. It emphasises the need for prompt recognition of auricular chondritis to avoid missed or delayed diagnosis and prevent irreversible cartilage damage and systemic complications.
A nationwide study of the epidemiology of relapsing polychondritis
This large nationwide study from Hungary examines the epidemiology, severity and associated conditions of Relapsing Polychondritis in over 250 patients. It shows that survival can be good with early diagnosis and highlights frequent associations with other autoimmune diseases, suggesting the importance of early recognition and monitoring.
Aortic involvement in relapsing polychondritis: case-based review
This study investigates aortic involvement in people with Relapsing Polychondritis and shows that, while uncommon, it can be severe and life-threatening. It highlights that aortitis and high inflammation levels are linked to worse outcomes and suggests that patients with these risk factors may need closer monitoring and more aggressive treatment.
Relapsing polychondritis: a clinical review for rheumatologists
This review outlines the key clinical features of Relapsing Polychondritis and offers guidance on diagnosis and assessment of organ involvement. It also reviews current management approaches, highlighting the use of anti-TNF therapies in patients with airway disease, a major cause of morbidity and mortality in RP.
Relapsing polychondritis: state of the art on clinical practice guidelines
This systematic review highlights the lack of formal clinical practice guidelines for Relapsing Polychondritis and identifies major unmet needs in diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and quality-of-life assessment. It emphasises the importance of collaboration between patients and clinicians, including through networks such as ERN ReCONNET, to develop evidence-based guidance for RP care.
Diagnosing relapsing polychondritis remains a common challenge: experience from a Chinese retrospective cohort
This study explores why Relapsing Polychondritis is frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late, particularly when patients first present to non-rheumatology specialists. It highlights limitations in current diagnostic criteria and stresses the need for greater awareness and improved tools to support earlier, more accurate diagnosis of RP.
Tracheobronchial involvement of relapsing polychondritis
This paper focuses on tracheobronchial (airway) involvement in Relapsing Polychondritis, which affects a significant proportion of patients and can be life-threatening. It emphasises the importance of early detection, regular monitoring using imaging and lung function tests, and careful specialist management to improve outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality.
Defining Clinical Subgroups in Relapsing Polychondritis: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study
This study identifies three distinct clinical subgroups of Relapsing Polychondritis, each with different patterns of symptoms, disease severity and time to diagnosis. Recognising these varying presentations — including airway, ear, joint and eye involvement — may help clinicians diagnose RP earlier and better anticipate complications.
Elucidation of predictors of disease progression in patients with relapsing polychondritis at the onset: potential impact on patient monitoring
This large study examines how organ involvement in Relapsing Polychondritis progresses over time and identifies patient subgroups with different prognoses. It shows that patients with early respiratory involvement or non-auricular onset tend to have more severe disease and higher mortality, highlighting the need for close monitoring and early intervention in higher-risk groups.
Relapsing Polychondritis and Large-vessel Vasculitis
This review explores the link between Relapsing Polychondritis and large-vessel vasculitis, including inflammation of the aorta and major blood vessels. Although uncommon, vascular involvement in RP can be severe and life-threatening, often developing later in the disease and sometimes without symptoms. The authors highlight the importance of awareness, appropriate imaging, and multidisciplinary care to detect vascular complications early and improve long-term outcomes for people living with RP.
Respiratory subtype of Relapsing Polychondritis (RP) frequently presents as difficult asthma: a descriptive study of respiratory involvement in RP with 13 patients from a single UK centre
This UK study focuses on the respiratory subtype of Relapsing Polychondritis and highlights how RP affecting the airways is frequently misdiagnosed as severe or “difficult” asthma. The authors describe 13 patients whose main symptoms were breathlessness, wheeze, cough and airway collapse due to tracheobronchomalacia. The study shows that early recognition of RP-related airway disease, combined with appropriate imaging and immunosuppressive treatment, can significantly improve outcomes and reduce life-threatening complications.
Tracheal Stenosis Diagnosis and treatment
This comprehensive clinical guide explains how tracheal stenosis (narrowing of the airway) is diagnosed and managed, covering causes, imaging, endoscopic assessment, and both medical and surgical treatment options. It is particularly relevant for clinicians managing airway complications seen in conditions such as relapsing polychondritis, including tracheomalacia and inflammatory airway narrowing.