Relapsing polychondritis with severe aortic insufficiency.
Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare disease characterized by auricular, nasal and respiratory tract chondritis, ocular inflammation, inflammatory polyarthritis and cardiovascular abnormalities. Here we describe a patient with a five-year history of mild nasal and auricular chondritis, which suddenly developed into a severe aortic insufficiency with rest dyspnea. The pathogenesis and the management of this rare connective tissue disease are discussed.
D000328:Adult; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D004431:Ear, External; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000209:etiology; D014463:Ultrasonography