musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Relapsing Polychondritis
Introduction
Relapsing polychondritis is a rare, episodic, inflammatory, and destructive disorder involving primarily cartilage of the ear and nose but also potentially affecting the eyes, tracheobronchial tree, heart valves, kidneys, joints, skin, and blood vessels. Diagnosis is by a combination of clinical, laboratory, imaging, and rarely biopsy findings. Treatment usually requiresprednisoneand other immunosuppressants. Relapsing polychondritis affects men and women equally; onset typically is in middle age. An association with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) , 