Diagnosis and treatment strategies for airway involvement in relapsing polychondritis: a comprehensive review

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare and complex autoimmune disease primarily affecting cartilage tissue. In particular, RP leads to inflammatory damage of airway cartilage, resulting in severe complications such as airway narrowing and tracheomalacia, which has a significant effect on patients' quality of life and prognosis. Although the clinical manifestations of RP are diverse, airway involvement has become a focal point of research and clinical attention because of its high incidence and potential lethality. Currently, the early recognition and accurate diagnosis of airway lesions remain challenging, with imaging and bronchoscopic examinations playing a key role in the assessment of structural and functional abnormalities of the airway. Although mainstream treatment consists of traditional immunosuppressants and glucocorticoids, their efficacy is limited and side effects are significant. In recent years, interventional surgery and comprehensive airway management strategies have gradually become important adjunctive treatment methods. This paper provides a systematic review of the clinical characteristics, diagnostic techniques, and diversified treatment approaches for airway involvement in RP and evaluates the latest research progress, aiming to enhance clinical physicians' understanding and treatment levels of airway lesions in this disease and to promote the development of individualized treatment plans, thereby improving patients' clinical prognosis and quality of life.