[Chronic atrophic polychondritis. Report of three cases, with ultrastructural study by electron microscopy]

The authors report 3 cases of chronic atrophic polychondritis with clinical signs characteristic of the disease. The 3 patients had deafness of perceptive type, very severe in one case. In one case, the relationship between inflammatory rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis is discussed. The 3 cases include a pathological study under the electron microscope of the cartilage of the ear. Certain ultrastructural peculiarities observed (dense perichondrocyte granules) are compared with the data in the literature.