The association of relapsing polychondritis and myelodysplastic syndrome -Report of three cases

Myelodysplastic syndrome is a group of clonal stem cell disorders character ized by cytopenias, including anemia. Rheumatologic manifestations have bee n reported in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, including the rare di sorder of relapsing polychondritis, which seems to occur more frequently th an would be expected by chance. We describe three older males with relapsin g polychondritis, who developed myelodysplastic syndrome, and we review the clinical features of the previously reported cases. Most of these patients are epidemiologically and prognostically similar to those with myelodyspla stic syndrome alone, leading to speculation that relapsing polychondritis m ay be a paraneoplastic manifestation of myelodysplastic syndrome. These cas es illustrate the need for greater awareness by physicians of the associati on between these two entities, and a thorough evaluation of hematologic abn ormalities in patients, especially older patients, with relapsing polychond ritis.