Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis in a patient with systemic sclerosis associated with primary biliary cirrhosis (Reynolds syndrome): A case report

Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis is a rare non-neoplastic inflammatory and degenerative process of the external ear, characterized by necrobiotic changes in the dermis that extend down to the perichondrium. This condition has been occasionally reported in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis but not in those with concomitant primary biliary cirrhosis; this association is known as Reynolds syndrome. We report a 70-year-old woman diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis at age 47 and with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis at age 54 who developed a painful ulcerated nodule on the helical rim of the left ear shortly after the last diagnosis. The lesion was excised because of the suspicion of malignancy, but the histopathology was consistent with chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis. Although this condition is infrequent, it is necessary to know, because it may occur in patients with systemic sclerosis and be mistaken for neoplasms, such as basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, and these patients have an increased risk for the development of skin malignancies.