Relapsing polychondritis diagnosed by Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy.
OBJECTIVE
Relapsing polychondritis is a generalized recurring disease of cartilage that involves joints, trachea, bronchi, laryngeal cartilages, costal cartilages, and cartilages of the ear and nose. It is associated with autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto disease in some cases.


METHODS
The authors evaluated a 29-year-old man with relapsing polychondritis who had symptoms and signs of a common cold for 2 months and anterior chest pain near the sternum for 1 month.


RESULTS
After the diagnosis, the authors found that the patient had a history of thyroid therapy for hyperthyroidism 15 years before. Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy performed to evaluate anterior chest pain showed diffusely increased accumulation of radioactivity in all costocartilages and sternoclavicular joints. Based on that information, relapsing polychondritis was diagnosed. Ga-67 citrate scintigraphy was preformed to determine the optimum biopsy site of the cartilage. The diagnosis was histologically supported by the results of the open biopsy.


CONCLUSIONS
In this case, Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy was useful for diagnosing relapsing polychondritis, and Ga-67 citrate scintigraphy was helpful in determining the biopsy site.
Department of Radiology, St. Marianna University Tohyoko Hospital, Kanagawa-ken, Japan.
Y
Y
Imanishi
Y
Y
Mitogawa
M
M
Takizawa
S
S
Konno
H
H
Samuta
A
A
Ohsawa
A
A
Kawaguchi
M
M
Fujikawa
H
H
Sakaida
T
T
Shinagawa
H
H
Yamashita
D000328:Adult; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002637:Chest Pain; D002951:Citrates; D003139:Common Cold; D005708:Gallium; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013247:Sternoclavicular Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
D002951:Citrates; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D005708:Gallium; C103850:gallium citrate; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate