Answer to Shimizu et al. "Organ Involvement Pattern Suggests Subgroups within Relapsing Polychondritis".

We read with interest the letter from Shimizu et al. regarding their large survey of 121 Japanese physicians following a total of 239 patients with relapsing polychondritis (RP). Using correlation matrix, they found that airway involvement (laryngo and tracheobronchial (TB)) was strongly associated with nasal chondritis whereas the relationship was inverse with external ear chondritis suggesting that the nasal and the auricular chondritis define two subgroups of RP patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.