SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1619229
Relapsing polychondritis following PD-1 blockade diagnosed via 18F-FDG PET/CT and improved by steroid administration: A case report and literature review
Provisionally accepted
- 1The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- 2China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
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Up to 22% of cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that mimic rheumatic disease, such as relapsing polychondritis (RP), which is a rare autoimmune disease that mainly manifests as inflammation of airway cartilage. We report a case of RP induced by humanized recombinant anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody therapy (tislelizumab).18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) contributed to the diagnosis of RP, and methylprednisolone was used to effectively control its progression. We also reviewed 13 publications on drug-induced RP in the context of cancer and analyzed the pathogenesis, ancillary tests, treatment, and prognosis of the cases described therein. Including our case, 14 drug-related RP cases with a tumor background were analyzed. Patients usually develop related symptoms 3-5 months after initiating medication. The primary tumor involvement sites included the hematological system (5/14, 35.71%), upper digestive tract (4/14, 28.57%), skin (2/14, 14.29%), reproductive system (2/14, 14.29%), bone (1/14,7.14%), and lung (1/14, 7.14%). 18F-FDG PET/CT plays a crucial role in diagnosing RP caused by PD-1 monoclonal antibodies. Early detection and the prompt administration of corticosteroids are crucial in effectively controlling the progression of RP, helping to alleviate symptoms and prevent further complications.
Keywords: Cancer, Relapsing polychondritis, PD-1 blockade, Immune-related adverse events, 18F-FDG PET /CT, ICI-induced RP
Received: 27 Apr 2025; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xu, Dong, Wang, Liu, Chen, Wang, Jin and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Hongyu Jin, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
Wen-Yang Li, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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