Relapsing Polychondritis: A Case Report.

Relapsing polychondritis is a chronic, recurrent, episodic, inflammatory disease of unknown cause affecting predominantly the cartilaginous tissues of the body. Episodes last few days to weeks. All types of cartilages may be involved. The most common presentation is the involvement of pinnae cartilages. The term was coined by Pearson and was first described by Jacksch-Wartenhorst in 1923, who called it polychondropathies. Annual incidence is about 3.5/million with the peak age at onset ranging from 40 to 50 years. Autoimmune etiology is suspected. Diagnosis is based on McAdam et al., criterion. Corticosteroid remains the mainstay of treatment along with the anti-inflammatory drugs. Here we present a case of 18-year-old male who presented with the involvement of the laryngeal cartilages, which is a rare presentation and later there was an involvement of other cartilages too. Our patient had four of McAdams criteria and also responded to steroids.

Condrólise de quadril em uma adolescente: evolução clínica e radiológica / Chondrolysis of the hip in an adolescent: clinical and radiological outcomes

A condrólise idiopática de quadril é uma condição rara, caracterizada por destruição progressiva da cartilagem articular da cabeça do fêmur e do acetábulo, sem etiologia conhecida. A CIQ tem início insidioso e acomete com maior frequência meninas na adolescência. Os pacientes apresentam dor intensa em quadril, restrição de movimentação e até claudicação. O objetivo do trabalho foi demonstrar um caso dessa doença rara: uma adolescente de 11 anos de idade, com condrólise, em acompanhamento por três anos. As provas de atividade inflamatória eram normais. Os exames de imagem (radiografia, ultrassonografia e ressonância magnética) foram essenciais para o diagnóstico. O tratamento baseou-se no controle da dor e preservação da mobilidade articular, incluindo atividades físicas de baixo impacto, anti-inflamatórios não hormonais e droga modificadora de doença, com boa resposta após um ano de tratamento. Intervenção cirúrgica não foi necessária.

Idiopathic chondrolysis of the hip is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by progressive destruction of the hyaline cartilage that covers the femoral head and acetabulum. Idiopathic chondrolysis of the hip has an insidious beginning and affects more often female adolescents. Patients report severe hip pain, mobility limitation, and even claudication. This study aimed at reporting one case of that rare disease: an 11-year-old female adolescent with chondrolysis, followed up for three years. Inflammatory activity tests were normal. Imaging tests (radiography, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance) were essential for the diagnosis. The treatment was based on pain control and preservation of the joint mobility, and included low-impact physical activity, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, with good response after 12 months of treatment. Surgery was not necessary.

[Investigation of the preventive effect of glucosamine, chondroitin alone and in combination on cartilage insult caused by quinolone in juvenile rats]

Osteoarthritis is considered the most common joint disease in the world, especially among the aged population. But it may affect the kids as a secondary type when kids were administered some groups of drugs such as quinolones which cause cartilage deformations and predispose to secondary type of osteoarthritis. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of glucosamine and chondroitin alone and in combination in the treatment of arthritis in Juvenile Rats. This study was applied on 5 groups of juvenile wistar rats, which divided as: normal group, control group, the group of GA, group of CS, the group of combination between GA+CS. At the end of the study all of rats were killed, then measurement of maximum extension of the right knee were performed, also histological and functional analysis of the articular cartilage of the knee were performed. Control group showed the degenerative changes as compared to the normal group, which is improved into the groups of GA, CS, which distinguished from the combination group. This study shows that GA and CS have protective effect able to opposite the destructive effect of quinolone on immature cartilages