• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.922-929
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• 1997

Relapsing polychondritis is a systemic disorder characterized by recurrent inflammation and degeneration of cartilaginous tissue throughout the body. The association with HLA-DR4 and the occurrence of antibodies to type II collagen and other autoantibodies suggest that an immunologic mechanism is involved in its pathogenesis. The eyes, ears, nose, larynx, trachea and articular areas are commonly involved. Airway narrowing or collapse from respiratory tract involvement occurs in up to 50% of patients with relapsing polychondritis. Treatment consists of administration of corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory and immunosuppresive drugs. We experienced a case of relapsing polychondritis involving the tracheobronchial tree, nose and ears in a 49-year-old woman. The patient was clinically and histologically diagnosed as relapsing polychondritis according to McAdam's and Damiani's criteria. We report this case with a review of the literature.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.431-435
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• 1993

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare and sometimes fatal disease of unknown etiology, manifestating as an episodic and progressive inflammatory disorder, affecting predominantly the cartilage of the ears, nose and tracheobroncheal tree as well as internal structures of the eyes and ears. We experienced a case of relapsing polychondritis involving the larynx, tracheobroncheal tree, eye, nose and ear in a 20 year old male, required tracheostomy due to severe dyspnea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 1999

Relapsing polychondritis is an uncommon disorder of unknown etiology. That involves multisystem characterized by recurrent inflammation, degenerative change of multiple cartilaginous structures. The most common clinical manifestation is an auricular chondritis. Other involving systems are joint, nose, eye, larynx, trachea, aorta, heart and kidney. A 26-year-old man who complained of hoarseness and sore throat was referred to the ENT department from internal medicine department. On initial video-laryngoscopic and radiologic examination, there was no abnormal finding. Treatment with high doses of corticosteroid and methotrexate was not effective. Symptoms were aggrevated with dyspnea. Three months later, on video-laryngoscopic examination, bilateral cord fixation with swelling was noted. The radiologic finding showed subglottic stenosis due to collapse of anterior wall of cricoid cartilage. The condition was managed with tracheotomy. We report a case of relapsing polychondritis involving larynx and trachea with bilateral vocal cord palsy which was managed with tracheotomy.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 1998

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare disesase involving any cartilaginous structure of entire body and is characterized by recurrent episode of inflammation and degeneration of cartilage and most commonly involve ear, nose, larynx, trachea, ribs, Eustachian tube, etc. Its signs and symptoms are recurrent swelling of auricle, saddle nose deformity, polyarthralgia, hoarseness and dyspnea, audiovestibular disturbance and cardiovascular abnormality, etc. Characteristic histologic findings are loss of normal basophilic staining of cartilage, perichondrial inflammatory infiltration with plamsa cells, lymphocytes and neutrophils, and finality, destruction of cartilage and replacement with scar tissue. Our case had saddle nose deformity, arthralgia, tracheal collapse, hearig loss and positive histologic finding but no auricular perichnodritis. Her major problem was airway. obstruction due to tracheal collapse. This case was diagnosed with relapsing polychondritis according to the Damiani's criteria. This case indicates that any patients complaining of airway obstruction have to be examined systemically.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.341-344
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• 2019

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology characterized by recurrent episodes of inflammation and the destruction of cartilaginous tissues, primarily involving the ear, nose, and the respiratory tract. Nasal chondritis is present in 24% of patients at the time of diagnosis and develops subsequently in 53% throughout the diseases progress. Progressive destruction of nasal cartilage leads to the characteristic flattening of the nasal bridge, resulting in the saddle nose deformity. In patients with RP, surgical management for saddle nose is carefully decided due to the disease relapsing characteristics. We present a RP patient with a saddle nose deformity who underwent reconstruction rhinoplasty with autologous costal cartilage grafting. At 6-month follow-up, the patient retained good esthetic results and showed neither complication nor relapse of RP.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.70-73
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• 2021

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, progressive immune-mediated systemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent inflammation of cartilaginous structures. Approximately 30% of RP cases are associated with other autoimmune diseases. However, the co-occurrence of RP and Crohn disease (CD) has rarely been reported. Herein, we present a 35-year-old woman diagnosed with RP and CD, who was refractory to initial conventional medications, including azathioprine and glucocorticoid, but who subsequently responded to infliximab (IFX). For both diseases, remission was sustained with IFX. There has been no previous report regarding the successful treatment of co-existing RP and CD with IFX.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.353-358
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• 2001

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is rare, chronic, relapsing, and multisystemic inflammatory disease targeting the cartilaginous structures. Respiratory track involvement occurs in approximately half of the cases. Subglottic stenosis is a rare manifestation of RP. Here, we report a case of RP with a subglottic stenosis, resulting in acute respiratory failure. A 63-year old man was admitted complaining of multiple joint pain, general weakness, weight loss, throat pain, hoarseness, exertional dyspnea, and hearing difficulties. A laryngoscopy and neck CT revealed a subglottic stenosis. Four days after admission, he complained severe dyspnea resulting in acute respiratory failure. Immediately, a tracheostomy was done for airway preservation. After high dose steroid therapy, the general symptoms were improved. However, the subglottic stenosis was sustained. Thus, a laryngotracheal augumentation and stent insertion was performed. The speech valve was then replaced. The subglottic stenosis was managed with low dose steroid and monthly cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, and the patient has been followed up regularly.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.861-868
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• 1999

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, causing recurrent inflammatory and degenerative reactions involving the cartilaginous structures throughout the body. Generally, RP is known as multiorgan disease presented as auricular chondritis, arthritis, nasal chondritis, ocular inflammation, audiovestibular damage and respiratory tract inflammation. Major airway involvement occurs in more than 50% of the patient and has been reported to be the primary cause of death. Rarely, it may be presented with only respiratory symptoms without typical clinical manifestation of RP. We experienced a 64-year-old male patient with RP involving diffuse airway tract without other characteristic clinical manifestation and present here with a review of literatures.