Relapsing Polychondritis and Cardiac Valvular Involvement

Abstract

ExcerptRelapsing polychondritis is an inflammatory disorder of cartilage in the spectrum of rheumatic vasculitides. The disease usually affects middle-aged men and is manifested by auricular and nasal chondritis, fever, seronegative arthritis, laryngeal and tracheal symptoms, audiovestibular complaints, ocular inflammation, and a saddle nose (1-3). There have been occasional reports of cardiovascular involvement (4-8). We report the case of a patient with relapsing polychondritis who developed severe aortic and mitral regurgitation requiring double-valve replacement.A 54-year-old black man with a history of intravenous drug abuse in the distant past had relapsing polychondritis determined by waxing and waning auricular and nasal septal...