Int. Adv. Otol. 2010; 6(2); 295-257

Clinical challenges and management of relapsing polychondritis 295-297
Gul Ozbilen Acar, Muhammet Tekin, Devrim Bellek, Osman Ilkay Ozdamar, Berrin Gucluer
Goztepe Training and Research Hospital

Relapsing (recurrent) polychondritis (RP) is a rare inflammatory disease with clinical features of autoimmune, episodic and progressively outgoing character which can involve all cartilaginous structures. The most common involved cartilaginous structures are auricular and nasal septal cartilages in order. One of the most common finding is an arthritis which is non-erosive and not resulted with deformation. Involvement of other cartilaginous areas such as trachea, larynx, epiglottis, costal joints is widely encountered. Also, this disease can be seen in organs of eyes, aorta, heart, skin that are rich in proteoglycans. Diagnosis is generally done on clinical findings for RP.
In this paper; clinical course, histopathological features, diagnostic methods, and treatment modalities of this rarely seen disease has been discussed accompaniment with the current literature and in the sight of a case which has been diagnosed as having RP.