Objective: Airway obstruction can occur in patients with relapsing polychondritis with laryngeal involvement, occasionally requiring tracheostomy to avoid serious complications. Herein, we assessed the risk factors for tracheostomy and developed a risk prediction model.
Methods: Clinical characteristics of patients with relapsing polychondritis, with and without tracheostomy, were compared using multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors. A nomogram was developed to predict the population at risk of requiring tracheostomy.
Results: In total, 232 patients with relapsing polychondritis were reviewed, of whom 146 had laryngeal involvement. Among them, 21 underwent a tracheostomy. Multivariate logistic analysis identified ages ≤25 or ≥65 years [P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) 24.584, 95% CI 5.310-113.815], laryngotracheal oedema (P < 0.001, OR 26.685, 95% CI 4.208-169.228) and pulmonary infection (P = 0.001, OR 18.834, 95% CI 3.172-111.936) as independent risk factors for tracheostomy. A nomogram with a C-index of 0.936 (95% CI 0.894-0.977) was established based on the multivariate analysis. Internal bootstrap resampling (1000 repetitions) confirmed sufficient discriminatory power with a C-index of 0.926. Decision curve analysis indicated a superior net benefit of the nomogram. Tracheostomy was associated with a significant increase in the in-hospital mortality rate (P = 0.021), but it did not affect the long-term survival rate (P = 0.706).
Conclusion: Tracheostomy is associated with an increase in the short-term mortality rate but does not affect the long-term survival rate. The nomogram developed in this study may help identify patients at high risk for tracheostomy and aid in clinical decision-making.
Keywords: larynx; prognosis; pulmonary infection; relapsing polychondritis; tracheostomy.
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