Melting corneas with collapsing nose.
A 31-year-old white woman with relapsing polychondritis presented with profound, diffuse episcleritis, marked conjunctival chemosis, and corneal-limbal inflammation and melting, which was refractory to corticosteroid treatment. With the initiation of chlorambucil the inflammation subsided, leaving an almost normal slit-lamp picture. The associated findings of nasal cartilage and pinna cartilage inflammation helped to establish the diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis in this patient.
D000328:Adult; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004425:Ear Cartilage; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007634:Keratitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012590:Sclera
D002699:Chlorambucil; D011241:Prednisone