Relapsing Polychondritis, Case Report

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis is a multisystemic inflammatory disease
of unknown etiology that affects the cartilages. It is characterized
by recurrent episodes of inflammation of the cartilaginous structures
resulting in tissue injury or destruction. The most common
manifestations are chondritis of the ear, joints, nose and trachea.
About one third of cases are associated with vasculitis or other
autoimmune disease. We report the case of a 74 year-old male
patient admitted to the internal medicine ward for pneumonia.
During hospitalization he showed inflammation of the cartilage of
the right ear which warned to possible polychondritis diagnosis.
He reported similar episodes for the past three months, one redeye
episode a year ago and arthritis with 10 years evolution. After
further investigation we assumed the diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis,
with good initial response to prednisolone but needing
increased doses that led us to initiate methotrexate.