Yeungnam Univ J Med.  2021 Jan;38(1):70-73. 10.12701/yujm.2020.00304.

Co-existence of relapsing polychondritis and Crohn disease treated successfully with infliximab

• Jung HI
• Kim HJ
• Kim JM
• Lee JY
• Park KS
• Cho KB
• Lee YJ

• KMID: 2512070
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2020.00304

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, progressive immune-mediated systemic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent inflammation of cartilaginous structures. Approximately 30% of RP cases are associated with other autoimmune diseases. However, the co-occurrence of RP and Crohn disease (CD) has rarely been reported. Herein, we present a 35-year-old woman diagnosed with RP and CD, who was refractory to initial conventional medications, including azathioprine and glucocorticoid, but who subsequently responded to infliximab (IFX). For both diseases, remission was sustained with IFX. There has been no previous report regarding the successful treatment of co-existing RP and CD with IFX.

Keyword

Crohn disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Infliximab; Polychondritis, relapsing

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Photo of patient's eye. Bilateral conjunctival injection is observed. Ophthalmologic examination presents corneal ulcer and iritis.

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  Fig. 2. Photos of both ears. The bilateral erythema of both auricles with sparing of the ear lobes (A, right; B, left) indicates bilateral auricular chondritis.

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  Fig. 3. Microscopic finding of auricular biopsy. The microscopic finding of an auricular lesion shows perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes in a background of fibrous connective tissue (hematoxylin and eosin stain, ×200).

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  Fig. 4. Colonoscopic findings. Multiple discontinuous ulcers are present in the terminal ileum (A, B), cecum, and ascending colon (C, D). Melanosis coli is observed probably due to the previous history of aloe vera consumption (C, D).

Reference

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