Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of relapsing polychodritis (RP).
Methods: Clinical features and laboratory data of 131 patients with RP were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: The average age at onset was (44 ± 14) years (ranging from 9 to 76). Male to female ratio was 1.22:1. The most common onset symptom was respiratory system symptom (61.8%), followed by auricle lesions (16.0%), articular cartilage (15.3%), ocular region (7.6%), internal ear system (5.3%), nasal cartilages (4.6%), skin (2.3%) and nervous system (0.8%). During the whole course of the disease, 81.7% of the patients endured a respiratory system involvement; 77.9% and 56.5% of the patients suffered joint symptoms and nasal cartilages lesions, respectively; the involvement of auricle lesions, ocular region and internal ear system were 54.2%, 35.1% and 33.6%. Comparatively, the occurrence rates of skin lesion (10.7%), neurologic disorder (9.2%) and kidney system lesions (1.5%) were low. Analyzing of the laboratory examination data showed that 38.2% and 43.5% of the patients had an increase in white blood count (WBC) and platelet, 86.3% and 82.4% patients showed raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) values.
Conclusions: RP is a multi-system involvement disease, which has complicated clinical manifestations. Respiratory tract is the most common site involved, and respiratory system involvement is a prediction of unfavourable prognosis.