A case of relapsing polychondritis associated with hemolytic anemia

Relapsing Polychondritis (RPC) is a rare disorder of unknown etiology which affects mucopolysaccharide-rich tissues such as cartilage. A 64-year-old man developed auricular and nasal chondritis with complaints of arthralgia of the hands and cervical pain. The auricular biopsy established the diagnosis of RPC. The hematological data revealed normocytic, slightly hypochromic anemia, a persistently elevated reticulocyte count, slightly increased bilirubin, and decreased haptoglobin. The presence of hemolytic anemia was confirmed by the shortened half-life of erythrocytes and erythroid hyperplasia of the bone marrow. This case illustrates the coexistence of RPC and hemolytic anemia which has been only rarely reported. The pathogenesis of RPC is also discussed may elucidate the pathogenesis of this disease.