Anti-labyrinthine antibodies in a patient with relapsing polychondritis

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare inflammatory disease that causes destruction of cartilaginous tissue in various anatomical regions. We report here about a 55-year-old female patient with relapsing polychondritis that involved the right auricle, both audiovestibular organs and both eyes. The patient presented with persisting inflammation of the right auricle, sudden lower-frequency hearing loss, acute moderate vertigo with nausea and mild ocular symptoms. Immunofluorescence assays were used for the detection of antibodies against the cochlea and the vestibular organ and demonstrated the presence of circulating antibodies against the audiovestibular organ. No staining for anti-corneal IgG was detected. Improvement of clinical disease was achieved by treatment with systemic steroids and vasodilator drugs, and long-term medication with low-dose corticosteroids.