Relapsing polychondritis, smouldering non-secretory myeloma and early myelodysplastic syndrome in the same patient: three difficult diagnoses producea life threatening illness

Multiple myeloma, relapsing polychondritis and myelodysplastic syndrome are all serious diseases in which making a clear diagnosis can be difficult. T his case of a 72-year-old man found after extensive investigation to have a ll three of the above, demonstrates how difficult diagnosis and treatment c an be, producing in this case a life threatening clinical syndrome. We also postulate that the association of these three diseases may be an immune-de rived complication of myelodysplastic syndrome. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.