title: [Relapsing polychondritis: clinical and therapeutic analysis of 15 Mexican cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare multisystem disease of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent episodes of inflammation and cartilage destruction. The aim was to present fifteen cases, analyzed in a clinical and therapeutic perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  fifteen cases from three different cities of Mexico, diagnosed with Damiani criteria, were included. Clinical features, treatment given and outcome were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  nine men and six women with mean age of 52.4 years met the criteria for RP; the average change was 86.7 months. The dominant clinical manifestations were: 83 % auricular chondritis, 66 % dysphonia, 60 % arthritis and 53 % with eye involvement. Treatment included: 93 % received corticosteroids, 60 % received methotrexate, 46 % received no steroidal anti-inflammatory treatment, 46 % received immunosuppressant therapy, and two cases received biologic therapy. The clinical course showed 34 relapses in 12 cases. Complications included hoarseness in seven cases, tracheal stenosis in six case, and hearing loss in three cases. There were five deaths, three from respiratory complications, one from renal failure and another from a cerebral vascular event.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the fifteen cases with RP presented were characterized by multisystem clinical courses and serious respiratory complications. The diagnostic and therapeutic situations merited highly medical specialized approaches.
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Regional, Distrito Federal, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico. cerverach@aol.com
authors.forename: Hernando
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cervera-Castillo
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cajigas-Melgoza
authors.forename: Lucío
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ventura-Ríos
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Torres-Caballero
authors.forename: Rosa Elena
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Prieto-Parra
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: García-Cervantes
authors.forename: María Del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Hernández-Quiroz
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vera-Lastra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D055815:Young Adult