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Case Reports in Rheumatology
Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 726038, 3 pages
doi:10.1155/2011/726038
Epididymo-Orchitis as a Presenting Feature of Relapsing Polychondritis: A Case Report
Department of Rheumatology, Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Slough, Berkshire SL2 4HL, UK
Received 4 September 2011; Accepted 28 September 2011
Academic Editors: B. Bannwarth, M. Salazar-Paramo, and A. Zoli
Copyright © 2011 Kuljeet Bhamra et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare multisystem disease. It is characterized by recurrent inflammation of cartilaginous structures including the ears, nose, tracheo-bronchial tree and peripheral joints. Proteoglycan-rich structures such as the heart, eyes and blood vessels can also be affected. Systemic symptoms including fever, weight loss and lethargy are common. RP is difficult to diagnose as it presents in a wide variety of ways and there is no diagnostic test. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment but other immunosuppressive drugs can be used in combination with steroids. We present an unusual presentation of RP.