[Relapsing polychondritis].

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a systemic inflammatory condition leading to irreversible structural changes in cartilaginous tissue as a result of generalized proteoglycane decomposition. Auricular and nasal cartilage is usually the first to be affected at the onset of the disease which leads to episcleritis. At the later stages, the larynx and trachea become involved, vasculitis develops affecting the organs of hearing, coronary arteries, kidneys, meninges, and other organs. The disease has an intermittent, recurrent character. The clinical course of RP is irregular. The disease is a rare occurrence and difficult to diagnose. The present review is based on the publications by domestic and foreign authors. It is intended to enhance awareness of the clinical picture and peculiarities of RP among clinicians with a view to improving its diagnostics.

[Affection of the central nervous system in Wegener's granulomatosis]. / Porazhenie tsentral'noi nervnoi sistemy pri granulematoze Vegenera.

A case of a lesion of the central nervous system in Wegener's granulomatosis with neuritis of craniocerebral nerves, granulomas, vasculitis and foci of ishemic necrosis and hemorrhages in the brain tissue is reported. Diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis in a female aged 48 years was confirmed morphologically and by detection of specific antibodies. In spite of prednisolone (20 mg/day) and cyclophosphamide treatment (200 mg per week), hemiplegia, aphasia appeared which progressed and resulted in a death of the patient. Histologically lesions in many organs were found: middle ear, lungs, kidneys, brain, destructive vasculitis, necrotic foci and polymorphic lung granulomas, fibrosing alveolitis, polymorphocellular granulomas, multiple infarctions in the kidneys, endothrombovasculitis, necrotic foci and granulomas with glial reaction in the brain tissue.