Comparison of patient-reported characteristics of disease between patients with an adult or a pediatric diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis.
| Adult, n = 290 | Pediatric, n = 21 | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient demographics | |||
| Current age, yrs, median (IQR) | 49 (41.8–56) | 15 (8.5–16) | — |
| Age at diagnosis, yrs, median (IQR) | 45 (35.7–51.3) | 9 (6.5–14) | — |
| Female | 253 (87.8) | 6 (28.6) | < 0.01 |
| White | 257 (89.2) | 14 (66.7) | < 0.01 |
| Family history of RP | 13 (4.5) | 1 (4.8) | 1.00 |
| Other autoimmune disease | 143 (49.3) | 6 (28.6) | 0.07 |
| Cumulative reported symptoms | |||
| Ear pain/redness | 274 (94.5) | 19 (90.5) | 0.35 |
| Nose pain/redness | 197 (67.9) | 10 (47.6) | 0.09 |
| Joint pain/swelling | 248 (85.5) | 19 (90.5) | 0.75 |
| Costochondritis | 145 (50) | 9 (42.9) | 0.65 |
| Eye inflammation | 167 (57.6) | 8 (38.1) | 0.11 |
| Raynaud phenomenon | 67 (23.1) | 0 (0) | 0.01 |
| Dizziness | 134 (46.2) | 8 (38.1) | 0.51 |
| Airway symptoms | 226 (77.9) | 10 (47.6) | 0.01 |
| Pathway to diagnosis | |||
| ER prior to diagnosis | 152 (52.4) | 13 (61.9) | 0.50 |
| Biopsy | 50 (17.4) | 9 (42.9) | < 0.01 |
| Saw > 3 physicians prior to diagnosis | 160 (55.2) | 12 (57.1) | 1.00 |
| > 5 yrs delay to diagnosis | 101 (34.9) | 6 (28.6) | 0.64 |
| Asthma diagnosis | 91 (31.6) | 9 (42.9) | 0.34 |
| Ear infection diagnosis | 138 (47.9) | 9 (42.9) | 0.82 |
| Sinusitis diagnosis | 113 (41.9) | 7 (33.3) | 0.50 |
| Treatment | |||
| Prednisone | 241 (83.1) | 15 (71.4) | 0.23 |
| DMARD | 232 (80) | 15 (71.4) | 0.40 |
| Biologics | 55 (19) | 9 (42.9) | 0.02 |
| NSAID | 34 (11.7) | 2 (9.5) | 1.00 |
| Disease complications | |||
| Tracheomalacia | 45 (15.7) | 4 (19.0) | 0.76 |
| Hearing loss | 105 (36.2) | 3 (14.3) | 0.06 |
| Pneumonia | 52 (18.2) | 2 (9.5) | 0.55 |
| Intubation | 39 (13.6) | 4 (19.0) | 0.51 |
Data are n (%) unless otherwise specified. Percentages may not be based on total denominations if there were missing responses. IQR: interquartile range; RP: relapsing polychondritis; DMARD: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs; ER: emergency room.