Vol.21 No.5

Case Report

A case of relapsing polychondritis associated with auricular cartilage infiltration of immunoglobulin G4-positive plasma cells and lung cancer

Authors

Yoshiro Horai1 , Tomoya Miyamura1 , Hokuto Arase1 , Daisaku Kimura1 , Karin Shimada1 , Motoko Ishida1 , Soichiro Takahama1 , Junichi Kiyasu1 , Rumi Minami1 , Masahiro Yamamoto1 , Eiichi Suematsu1 , Yoshifuku Nakayama2

  • Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-8563, Japan
  • Department of Pathology, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-8563, Japan
Received:

10 December 2010

Accepted:

16 February 2011

Published online:

10 March 2011

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Abstract

A 79-year-old man was diagnosed with relapsing polychondritis, from symptoms of bilateral auricular deformity and pigmentation, polyarthralgia, and audiovestibular damage, and from histological examination of the left auricular cartilage. The left auricular cartilage biopsy specimen revealed cartilage destruction with infiltration of plasmacytes expressing IgG4. This case suggests that IgG4 may be involved in the pathogenesis and etiology of relapsing polychondritis.

Key words

Glucocorticoid - Immunoglobulin G4 - Lung cancer - Relapsing polychondritis