Relapsing polychondritis (RP)

Characterized by recurrent inflammation of the cartilage and other tissues, RP affects the ears, nose, joints, eyes, skin, heart valves, and brain.

Tenderness and swelling of cartilage in one or both ears, cartilage collapse at the bridge of the nose resulting in a saddle nose deformity, nasal stuffiness or fullness and crusting, pain and redness on the eyes, ears, and nose, vertigo, hearing loss, low grade, fever, loss of appetite, sore throat, anterior neck pain, and hoarseness.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndromes, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diabetes mellitus type 1, thyroid disorders, arterial hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and Sjogren’s syndrome.

RP has been found to affect males and females equally with diagnosis most commonly occurring at  40 to 60 years of age. Further research is still needed to identify specific environmental and genetic risk factors for the condition.

• Relapsing polychondritis presenting as otitis externa (2023)
• Relapsing polychondritis and aseptic meningoencephalitis (2023)
• Relapsing polychondritis causing breathlessness: Two case reports (2022)
• A case of relapsing polychondritis developing tracheomalacia (2020)