title: The red hearing: swollen ear in a patient with ulcerative colitis.
abstract: Relapsing polychondritis is a rare connective tissue disease of unknown etiology characterized by recurrent inflammation, degeneration and deformity of auricular cartilage. The autoimmune inflammation may also affect cartilage at other sites including nose, larynx, trachea and bronchi. Here, we present a case of relapsing polychondritis in a patient with ulcerative colitis. We also review the presentation, diagnosis and management of this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Reading Health System, West Reading, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Paras
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karmacharya
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Reading Health System, West Reading, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Ranjan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Pragya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Reading Health System, West Reading, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alweis
keywords: cartilage disorder; chondritis; relapsing polychondritis; ulcerative colitis