Clinical features of Chinese patients with relapsing polychondritis

To characterise the ocular and extraocular findings in patients with relapsing polychondritis (RP) patients.

Retrospective, longitudinal study.

A total number of 16 patients with ocular RP, seen in our tertiary uveitis referral centre over a time period of 10 years were included in this study. Routine ocular examinations such as best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and auxiliary examinations including ultrasound biomicroscopy, B-scanultrasonography, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were performed. Ocular and systemic manifestations of these 16 patients were analysed and compared with those presented by others. The patients were treated by corticosteroids or in combination with immunosuppressive agents.

Eleven male and five female patients were included with a mean age of 40.4 years. Ocular involvement was bilateral in 75% of the patients and manifested as scleritis (n=10) or uveitis (n=6). Generalised, anterior and posterior uveitis was found in three, two and one patients, respectively. The frequencies of inner ear involvement and arthritis were lower in Chinese patients compared with that observed in Caucasians. Nine patients had a follow-up of 2-44 months, and in these individuals a better visual prognosis was observed in female patients compared with males.

Our study shows that uveitis associated with RP may manifest as generalised, anterior or posterior uveitis. The incidence of inner ear involvement and arthritis in these patients was lower than that in Caucasians. Female patients seem to have milder inflammation and a better visual prognosis.