Orbital/ocular inflammatory involvement in VEXAS syndrome: Data from the international AIDA network VEXAS registry.

VEXAS syndrome is a recently described monogenic autoinflammatory disease capable of manifesting itself with a wide array of organs and tissues involvement. Orbital/ocular inflammatory manifestations are frequently described in VEXAS patients. The objective of this study is to further describe orbital/ocular conditions in VEXAS syndrome while investigating potential associations with other disease manifestations. In the present study, twenty-seven out of 59 (45.8 %) VEXAS patients showed an inflammatory orbital/ocular involvement during their clinical history. The most frequent orbital/ocular affections were represented by periorbital edema in 8 (13.6 %) cases, episcleritis in 5 (8.5 %) patients, scleritis in 5 (8.5 %) cases, uveitis in 4 (6.8 %) cases, conjunctivitis in 4 (6.8 %) cases, blepharitis in 3 (5.1 %) cases, orbital myositis in 2 (3.4 %) cases. A diagnosis of systemic immune-mediated disease was observed in 15 (55.6 %) cases, with relapsing polychondritis diagnosed in 12 patients. A significant association was observed between relapsing polychondritis and orbital/ocular involvement in VEXAS syndrome (Relative Risk: 2.37, 95 % C.I. 1.03-5.46, p = 0.048). Six deaths were observed in the whole cohort of patients after a median disease duration of 1.2 (IQR=5.35) years, 5 (83.3 %) of which showed orbital/ocular inflammatory involvement. In conclusion, this study confirms that orbital/ocular inflammatory involvement is a common finding in VEXAS patients, especially when relapsing polychondritis is diagnosed. This makes ophthalmologists a key figure in the diagnostic process of VEXAS syndrome. The high frequency of deaths observed in this study seems to suggest that patients with orbital/ocular involvement may require increased attention and more careful follow-up.

Policondrite recidivante / Relapsing polychondritis

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A policondrite recidivante (PR) é uma doença multissistêmica, caracterizada por inflamação e destruição das cartilagens auriculares, nasais, laringotraqueais e articulares. Ocasionalmente, há o acometimento de outros tecidos. Com poucos relatos na literatura mundial, a PR é uma doença rara, com maior frequência na quarta década de vida. Sua etiologia permanece desconhecida, no entanto, fortes evidências sugerem patogênese autoimune. A PR pode ter curso grave ao comprometer o trato respiratório e levar à sua obstrução, ocasionando o óbito. O objetivo deste estudo foi rever os diversos aspectos clínicos da PR, como sua patogênese, quadro clínico, diagnóstico e tratamento, visando a ampliação do diagnóstico diferencial na clínica médica. CONTEÚDO: Através dos bancos de dados LILACS, Medline/Pubmed e Scielo foram selecionados 61 artigos, sendo estes de pesquisa, revisão de literatura e relato de caso. Utilizaram-se os descritores: policondrite recidivante, policondrite recorrente. O período considerado englobou 87 anos (1923-2010). CONCLUSÃO: A PR é uma doença pouco prevalente com dados restritos na literatura mundial, mas de potencial gravidade. Seus achados clínicos são sugestivos e incluem condrite auricular, nasal e poliartrite. O tratamento estipulado é empírico, e utiliza-se de anti-inflamatórios não esteroides (AINES), glicocorticóides, imunossupressores e em casos refratários, os agentes anti-TNF-α. Devido à possibilidade de evolução grave, a PR deve ter sua suspeita clínica sempre considerada em qualquer faixa etária acometida, visando um diagnóstico precoce e tratamento adequado de acordo com a atividade da doença.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a multisystemic disease characterized by inflammation and destruction of auricular, nasal, laryngotracheal and junction cartilages. Ocasionally, other tissues are affected. With few reports in the world literature, RP is a rare disease, being more prevalent in the fourth decade of life. Its etiology remains unknown. However, strong evidences suggest an autoimmune pathogenesis. The RP may show a severe evolution when the respiratory tract is affected, and could lead to obstruction, causing patient's death. The objective of this study was to perform a literature review about the general clinical aspects of RP, such as its pathogenesis,clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment, aiming at expanding the differential diagnosis in clinical medicine.CONTENTS: Through the LILACS, Medline/Pubmed and Scielo databases, 61 articles were selected. Among them, there where research articles, literature review and case reports. We used the following keywords: relapsing polychondritis, recurrent polychondritis. The considered period encompassed 87 years (1923-2010). CONCLUSION: RP is a barely prevalent disease, with restricted data in the world literature, but potentially severe. The clinical findings are suggestive of RP, including auricular and nasal chondritis, and polyarthritis. The prescribed treatment is empirical,with drugs such as non-steroid anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants and, in refractory cases,the anti-TNF-α agents. Due to the possibility of severe outcome of the RP, its clinical suspicion must be always considered in any age group, thus aiming at an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment according to the disease activity.