COVID-19, a phantomatic trigger for relapsing polychondritis

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is an auto-immune disease which affects the cartilaginous parts of sites like the ear, nose or upper respiratory tract. The condition can also involve other cartilage-containing structures such as the eyes, joints, the heart, kidneys and central nervous system. Early diagnosis of RPis essential for preventing significant damage to vital organs that can lead to increased morbi-mortality rates. First-line therapy in RP is systemic glucocorticoids, while in refractory cases monoclonal antibodies can be used despite scarcity of efficacy data available in published literature. The link between RP and neoplasia, especially hematological malignancy, should not be omitted when screening patients with suspicion of RP diagnosis. The onset of COVID-19 pandemic has generated a new source of immune mediated pathologies, such as small vessel vasculitis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura or Guillain-Barre syndrome and other auto-inflammatory syndromes triggered by COVID-19 seem to unveil. The present case depicts a female patient who presented with erythematous and painful areas of her right ear after priorly experiencing similar episodes in both ears and nose bridge shortly after having the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

Keywords

• relapsing polychondritis
• covid-19
• cartilage
• inflammation
• autoimmunity
• immunosupression