The development of trigeminal neuralgia related to auricular chondritis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis-relapsing polychondritis and its treatment with etanercept. Description of the first case.

Cranial neuropathy is an uncommon manifestation of relapsing polychondritis (RPC). Optic neuropathy is the most common type of cranial nerve involvement in RPC. Until now, trigeminal neuralgia (TN) has been reported with different rheumatic diseases, however, there is no reported case of TN associated with RPC. We here present a case of RPC with TN. A 57 year-old female patient previously diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and RPC presented us with polyarthritis, auricular and nasal chondritis, and TN. Cranial MRI and MRI angiography of the brain did not show any pathology. The patient partially responded to RA therapy; and carbamazepine and etanercept were administered. RA-related joint findings, her chondritis and TN symptoms improved completely with etanercept. We presume that the TN was caused by compression of the trigeminal nerve from inflammation or ischemia secondary to vasculitis.