CTICasesRelapsing Polychondritis
Imaging findings
Chest CT scans show diffuse thickening and calcification of the cartilaginous anterior wall of the trachea, with sparing of the posterior membranous wall. Over a 5-month period, the patient developed severe, progressive cartilage destruction of the anterior chest wall and costal cartilages, resulting in the rapid acquisition of a severe pectus excavatum deformity.
Key takeaways
Relapsing polychondritis is a rare systemic autoimmune disease characterized by recurrent inflammation and destruction of cartilaginous structures, particularly the ears, nose, larynx, and tracheobronchial tree. Tracheal involvement typically spares the posterior membranous wall. Destruction and weakening of the costochondral and costal cartilages can lead to collapse of the anterior chest wall, presenting as an acquired, rapid-onset pectus excavatum.
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