title: Endobronchial stenting for respiratory complications in relapsing polychondritis.
abstract: Relapsing polychondritis is characterized by recurrent inflammation and destruction of the cartilage and connective tissue. Respiratory complications are frequently severe during the course of the disease and usually signal a poor prognosis. We report a case of a 47-year-old man with known relapsing polychondritis who presented with bilateral narrowing of the airways complicated by refractory cavitary Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Despite an aggressive antibiotic regimen, the patient's pneumonia did not improve until bronchial stenting 4 months later.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Cairo St., Hamra, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ossama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.forename: Ghassan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jamaleddine
authors.forename: Thurayya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arayssi
authors.forename: Zahi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Touma
authors.forename: Pierre Bou
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Khalil
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome