Heart Transplantation as Last Resort Treatment for Relapsing Polychondritis With Severe Cardiac Involvement

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by recurrent inflammation and destruction of different cartilaginous and proteoglycan-rich structures like cardiovascular system. We reported a case of heart transplantation in a 20-year-old man having a relapsing polychondritis with severe multiple cardiovascular involvement. The immunosuppressive treatment used to prevent graft rejection allowed to turn out the inflammatory disease. Cardiac transplantation may be considered as last resort treatment option in relapsing polychondritis with intractable extensive heart lesions.