Relapsing polychondritis with isolated tracheal involvement and airway ‐only symptoms

We report an unusual case of RP with isolated tracheal involvement and very non‐specific symptoms of exertional dyspnoea and dry cough. The initial chest radiograph showed long‐ segment narrowing of the trachea, and the computed tomography of the chest revealed thickened cartilaginous walls of the trachea, while the posterior membranous portion was spared. The tracheal narrowing was readily observed under bronchoscopy. The patient was treated with oral prednisolone. Althoug h the subsequent course was transiently complicated by an episode of severePneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome, the patient overall responded well to systemic corticosteroid therapy. No new symptoms developed during a two ‐year follow‐up.
Source: Respirology Case Reports - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Case Report Source Type: research