Successful partial cochlear implantation in a patient with relapsing polychondritis

The author reports on a case of relapsing polychondritis in which partial insertion of a cochlear implant has been successful. A woman with known relapsing polychondritis gave a history of increasingly severe auditory loss of sensorineural type occurring bilaterally. Previous repeated treatments with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive medications had been attempted. A right-sided cochlear implantation with partial electrode array insertion was carried out due to the patient’s cochlea being obliterated. The outcome was excellent and the improvement in hearing was maintained. Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rarely-seen disorder, the aetiology of which is obscure, but which results in inflammation within cartilage throughout the entire body. The cochlea may become obliterated by this process. Cochlear implantation may be needed in such circumstances. The successful outcome in this case shows a potential role for cochlear implantation in individuals with inner ear disorders produced by immune disorders or relapsing polychondritis.