[Three cases of relapsing polychondritis--triggering factor and treatment of relapses]

We present three cases of relapsing polychondritis (RP), all of which were confirmed by biopsy. In the first case, where the symptoms appeared after treatment for kidney and lung cancers, it was thought that interferon alpha, radiation or photodynamic therapy had been the causative or triggering factor. In the second case, eye surgery may have triggered the recurrence of RP. The possibility that medical intervention might cause, promote or trigger RP by disturbing the immune system was discussed. In the third case, where the chief complaint was dyspnea due to severe bronchial constriction, the importance of assessing the state of the respiratory tract, for instance by spiral 3 D CT imaging of the chest, was suggested. The appropriate use of tracheobronchial stents for some cases associated with dyspnea was also discussed.