pmr
Table of Contents
polymyalgia rheumatica
introduction
- PMR is a clinical syndrome characterized by severe aching and stiffness in the neck, shoulder girdle, and pelvic girdle.
- closely linked to temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis)
- 25% of patients with PMR experience temporal arteritis, and if this is present there is a risk of damage to the arteries of the eye which can rapidly lead to blindness.
- 50% of patients with temporal arteritis will have PMR at the same time.
- mainly a condition of those older than 50 years in whom it affects 1 in 200, but particularly females (M:F ratio 1:2), aged over 70 years.
clinical features
- pain and aching of proximal muscle groups (hip/pelvis/shoulders/neck in particular), usually worse in the morning or after inactivity and of relatively abrupt onset
- non-specific clinical findings
- general constitutional symptoms of malaise, fatigue, low grade fevers, weight loss
- muscle tenderness but no weakness or atrophy
- rare complications include stroke (CVA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)
diagnostic criteria
- bilateral shoulder or pelvic girdle aching – or both
- morning stiffness longer than 45 minutes
- age older than 50 years
- duration >2 weeks
- evidence of an acute phase response (raised ESR and/or raised CRP)
differential diagnosis
- polymyositis
- occult infection
confirmatory investigations
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) > 50 mm/h
- C reactive protein (CRP) > 60mg/L
- normochromic normocytic anaemia in 50% of cases
- normal creatinine kinase level (thus excludes myositis)
- negative finding for rheumatoid factor (thus makes rheumatoid arthritis less likely)
- mild elevations in liver function test results
- mild nonspecific synovitis
- negative muscle biopsy findings
- US may reveal multiple bursitis and tendonitis in the shoulder regions
Indications for referral
- atypical features
- age < 60yrs
- chronic onset > 2 months
- lack of shoulder involvement
- lack of inflammatory stiffness
- prominent systemic features of weight loss, night pain, or neurologic signs
- features of other rheumatic disease
- normal or extremely high acute phase response (ie. ESR or CRP)
- treatment issues
- incomplete or poor response to steroids
- inability to taper steroids
- C/I to steroids
- prolonged steroid Rx > 2yrs
Mx
- check for temporal arteritis
- prednisolone
- may need higher dose if not responding within 7-14 days although some 25% do not respond to steroids
- once responded, and ESR, CRP have fallen to much lower levels, then taper dose eventually hopefully a daily dose of 1mg/d may suffice, but may need Rx for 2-3 years
- example regime for average body weight patients assuming adequate responses:
- 15mg/d for 3wks followed by weaning plan thereafter: 12.5mg for 3wks, then 10mg for 4wks, and then reduce by 1mg every month
- referral to rheumatologist
- monitor erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) to help guide prednisolone dosing
- usually need monthly review then quarterly to watch for response to steroids and their complications.
- exacerbations occur if steroid dose tapering is too rapid
pmr.txt · Last modified: 2024/08/29 03:02 by gary1