Colchicine for treatment of relapsing polychondritis

This report describes the effectiveness of oral colchicine, 0.6 mg twice daily, in abating three attacks of chondritis in two patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for relapsing polychondritis (RP). Chondritis of the pinnae of the ears was utilized as a therapeutic guideline toward improvement. Collagen antibodies and urinary mucopolysaccharides were negative during flares and after improvement; antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were present in one patient. Both patients experienced a continued chondritis for at least 10 days before colchicine was started. Marked improvement was observed in 4 days, and complete resolution occurred after 7 days' treatment with colchicine. These observations indicate that the effectiveness of colchicine, as a relatively safer medicine, should be evaluated further in the treatment of RP.