CT manifestations of tracheobronchial involvement in relapsing polychondritis.

Two patients with relapsing polychondritis presented with tracheobronchial stenosis without clinical manifestation of nasal septum or ear lobe cartilage involvement. The CT findings included diffuse, smooth tracheobronchial wall thickening with narrowing and deformity of the lumen. Areas of dense calcium deposition within the thickened tracheal cartilage were seen. On follow-up after steroid medication, tracheobronchial wall thickening was decreased and the configuration of the tracheal lumen returned to normal.