A case of relapsing polychondritis presenting as a diffuse tracheobronchial tree involvement

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, causing recurrent inflammatory and degenerative reactions involving the cartilaginous structures throughout the body. Generally, RP is known as multiorgan disease presented as auricular chondritis, arthritis, nasal chondritis, ocular inflammation, audiovestibular damage and respiratory tract inflammation. Major airway involvement occurs in more than 50% of the patient and has been reported to be the primary cause of death. Rarely, it may be presented with only respiratory symptoms without typical clinical manifestation of RP. We experienced a 64-year-old male patient with RP involving diffuse airway tract without other characteristic clinical manifestation and present here with a review of literatures.