Relapsing polychondritis associated with hepatitis C virus infection.

This article is aimed to review of relapsing polychondritis (RP) and its association to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A case of RP associated with HCV infection in a 59-year-old male is reported. The English medical literature was reviewed for RP and its association with HCV infection. RP is a rare autoimmune and multisystem disorder of unknown etiology in which the cartilaginous and related tissues are the primary targets of inflammation. HCV infection is a more common systemic illness with known hepatic and extra-hepatic manifestations. Although RP is associated with other diseases in about 35% of cases, only one case of RP, HCV, and mixed cryoglobulinemia has been reported. We report a case of RP associated with HCV infection. Treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin resulted in sustained virologic response and remission of treatment-resistant RP with azathioprine. We report a case of RP and associated HCV infection. Although treatment of HCV infection resulted in remission of RP, it is unknown if there is a causal relationship between HCV infection and RP.