Purpose: To report a case of miscellaneous ocular symptoms associated with relapsing polychondritis (RP).
Case report: A 58-year-old man presented with multiple ocular symptoms including both anterior and posterior scleritis, conjunctivitis, eyelid edema, eye movement disorder, keratitis, and retinopathy. Miscellaneous systemic inflammation in the right auricle as well as nasal and laryngeal cartilage was also evident together with vestibular and auditory nerve disorders. According to his clinical signs and the results of color Doppler ultrasonography, positron emission tomography and computed tomography, and a biopsy of the right auricle, we made a diagnosis of RP.
Conclusion: Given that RP is potentially fatal, it is important that the condition be diagnosed early and treated promptly. Ophthalmologists should be aware that RP is a potential cause of recurrent and refractory multiple ocular inflammatory disorders associated with systemic symptoms.
Keywords: Conjunctivitis; eyelid edema; keratitis; relapsing polychondritis; retinitis; scleritis.