Relapsing Polychondritis Associated With Thyroid Carcinoma: A First Malagasy Case

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent systemic inflammation affecting cartilaginous tissues and proteoglycan-rich tissues. The disease may present in several clinical variants, which can delay diagnosis. Corticosteroids are the treatment of choice for RP. In rare cases, RP can be paraneoplastic. The association of RP with thyroid cancer is unusual. We report the first Malagasy case of a 48-year-old man with RP type one diagnosed within less than a year, presenting with recurrent chondritis of the auricular cartilage, tracheobronchial chondritis, and recurrent episcleritis. The disease was associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma.