Anesthetic experience of a patient with relapsing polychondritis: A case report

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare disease characterized by progressive inflammation and destruction of cartilaginous structures such as ears, nose, and tracheolaryngeal structures. As a result, tracheolaryngeal involvement makes anesthetic management a challenge. Anesthetic management of a patient with relapsing polychondritis may encounter airway problems caused by severe tracheal stenosis. We present the case of a 60-year-old woman with relapsing polychondritis who underwent wedge resection of the stomach under epidural analgesia. Thoracic epidural blockade of the T4-10 dermatome was achieved by epidural injection of 7 ml of 0.75% ropivacaine and 50 μg of fentanyl. The patient was tolerable during the operation. We suggest that epidural analgesia may be an alternative to general anesthesia for patients with relapsing polychondritis undergoing upper abdominal surgery. © the Korean Society of Anesthesiologists, 2012.