Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Abstract

The clinical and laboratory features of 18 patients with the syndrome of polymyalgia rheumatica seen in an 18-month period were reviewed. The average age of the patients was 68 years; 17 were women. All had proximal muscle pain and tenderness and a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mean of 102 mm/hr). Fever, anemia and malaise were common. All these findings were rapidly reversed by corticosteroid therapy. A small maintenance dose was frequently needed for continued suppression of the illness. No patient had rheumatoid factor, antinuclear factors or elevated muscle enzymes in the serum. None have developed arthritis, malignancy or other disease after observation of at least 1 year. The temporal artery was biopsied in 12 patients and showed arteritis in 3. It was postulated that polymyalgia rheumatica is 1 manifestation of a systemic giant cell arteritis and is more prevalent in the older population than is presently recognized.