RESUMO
A case of chronic atrophic polychondritis in a 75 year old female patient is reported. The disease started with an asymptomatic lesion of the nasal septum. It was diagnosed after involvement of the auricular cartilages, which was followed by an ocular and then by a tracheal symptomatology. A histological study by means of optical microscopy and of electronic microscopy is presented. The general characteristics of chronic atrophic polychondritis are given. It is a systemic, inflammatory disease, and progresses by successive outbreaks. Its gravity lies in the frequency of laryngeal and tracheo-bronchial lesions. Its pathogeny is unknown. Two hypotheses are considered: the first, that it is due to a disturbance in the metabolism of mucopolysaccharides ; the second is based on an immunological mechanism.