[Relapsing polychondritis--ultrastructure in 2 additional cases].

A 37-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man with typical clinical history of relapsing polychondritis enabled electron microscopical analysis of various cartilages (ear, nasal septum, rib). Apoptotic lesion and degradation of chondrocytes combined not always with changes of their lacunae prevailed in both patients, fragmentation of elastic tissue in the man. Lesions of chondrocytes, a bit varied and asynchronous in intensity were observed as everywhere in a single cartilage as in cartilages from different sites.