Polymyalgia Rheumatica & Giant Cell Arteritis

Information about polymyalgia rheumatica: what it is, getting diagnosed, treatment options and facts patients should know.
www.rheumatology.org

IF you are over 50, EVEN IF you have the 3 cardinal features of Fibromyalgia (widespread pain, intense fatigue, non-restorative sleep), you may have an inflammatory condition called Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR), or even more sinister conditions like Giant Cell Arteritis, occult infections or malignancies.


How to Manage Polymyalgia Rheumatica
www.the-rheumatologist.org|By Mary Beth Nierengarten

Giant Cell Arteritis (Temporal Arteritis): Background, Pathophysiology, Etiology

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), or temporal arteritis, is a systemic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown etiology that occurs in older persons and can result in a wide variety of systemic, neurologic, and ophthalmologic complications. GCA is the most common form of systemic vasculitis in adults.
emedicine.medscape.com

On the other (more sinister) end of the spectrum from PMR sits GCA (also called Temporal Arteritis). Early signs include headaches and jaw claudication.


Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a medium and large vasculitis, wherein only glucocorticoids (GC) treatment has been the mainstay of therapy. As many will…
rheumnow.com

GCA patients may need prolonged use of high doses of steroids, which is especially problematic in the older population: infections, metabolic disorders, osteoporosis. Some targeted biologics may “spare” steroid use.