Otorhinolaryngological findings in a group of patients with rheumatic diseases

AbstractIntroductionOtorhinolaryngological manifestations of rheumatologic diseases represent a great challenge not only to the generalistphysician but also to the ENT doctor andrheu- matologist. They often represent early manifestations of an autoimmune disorder which requires prompt and aggressive immunosuppressive treatment. Auditory, nasal, laryngeal and eye symptoms can be the first manifestation of rheumatic diseases and their proper assessment helps the doctor to identify signs of disease activity. The objective of this study is to identify the ENT manifestations in patients with rheumatic diseases in a high comple- xity hospital, regarding facilitating an early diagnosis and treatment.MethodsWe performed clinical and complete otorhinolaryngological evaluations in pa- tients selected from the outpatient rheumatology in a standardized manner by the use of a standardized form filling during the secondhalf of 2010.ResultsIn the study group, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients had predomi- nantly laryngeal manifestations, while patients with Sjögren's syndrome showed a higher prevalence of otologic manifestations. Changes in audiometric tests were found in 53% of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) patients, 80% of relapsing polychondritis (RP), 33% of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 50% of Churg-Strauss syndrome (SCS). Regarding nasal alterations, these were found so prevalent in all conditions, especially Churg-Strauss syndrome.Discussion and conclusionThis study demonstrated that most patients treated in our hospi- tal has the ENT signs and symptoms commonly associated in previous studies on rheuma- tic diseases, but further studies with a larger number of patients must be made to establish such relations