Comment: | Relapsing Polychondritis is a rare disease which attacks and destroys cartilage. It can be life-threatening, debilitating, and difficult to diagnose. It is presumably an auto-immune disease. No specific tests are available and therefore it must be diagnosed on clinical grounds. People can have a wide array of painful symptoms that are often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed.
Relapsing Polychondritis is characterized by recurrent, potentially severe and frightening episodes of inflammation of cartilaginous tissues. All types of cartilage may be involved, including the elastic cartilage of the ears and nose and the hyaline cartilage of the peripheral joints, the fibrocartilage at axial sites and the cartilage in the tracheobronchial tree. It can also inflame other proteoglycan-rich structures, such as the eye, heart, blood vessels and inner ear. Systemic symptoms: fever, lethargy and weight loss are common.
This support group offers advice and information and aims to raise awareness among the public and medical profession. For further information, contact Miss Colman at the above address. |
