Treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis. II. Relation between steroid dose and steroid associated side effects

Article Abstract:

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a condition that causes pain in the shoulder and pelvic muscles and an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the speed at which red blood cells settle under laboratory conditions. Low doses of corticosteroids are effective in relieving the symptoms of PMR and reducing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The dose of steroid drugs should be kept to a minimum to prevent serious side effects, but it must be adequate to prevent the development of a complication known as giant cell arteritis (GCA). GCA is the chronic inflammation of blood vessels and the accumulation of giant cells, which are commonly found in inflamed areas. Larger doses of corticosteroids are required for treating GCA than for PMR, in order to prevent blindness. The incidence of side effects resulting from treatment with the corticosteroid prednisolone was assessed in 109 patients with PMR and GCA. Steroid-related side effects occurred in one-third of patients, or in two-thirds if weight gain was considered a side effect. Adverse effects occurred more often if the initial dose of prednisolone was greater than 30 milligrams (mg), and they were also related to the cumulative dose of the drug. A daily dose of 5 mg prednisolone or less was significantly less likely to cause adverse side effects. Some of the most common side effects were fracture, peptic ulcer, diabetes, indigestion, cataracts, blood clots, weight gain, skin changes, and infection. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Drug therapy, Giant cell arteritis, Temporal arteritis, Steroids (Drugs), Steroids (Organic compounds), Prednisolone

---

Rarity of synovitis in polymyalgia rheumatica

Article Abstract:

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large arteries that tends to affect people who are over 60 years old. PMR primarily affects the muscles, with the major symptoms being pain and stiffness in the back, shoulders and neck. PMR has been thought to only rarely affect joints, but recent studies have shown an association between the muscle symptoms in PMR and synovitis, the inflammation of the synovial membranes around joints. The joints of 56 patients with PMR were examined for synovitis by X-ray, scans after the injection of radioactive substances known as radionucleotides, and thermography. Synovitis was diagnosed in 12 out of the 56 patients with PMR, but only three of the patients had active PMR at the time of examination. Therefore, synovitis was not associated with PMR. The muscle pain and stiffness of the patients with PMR could not be attributed to synovitis of the shoulder joints, hips, or spine. Reasons for the discrepancies between the various studies may be due to different criteria for the diagnosis of PMR and the difficulty in diagnosing synovitis by the radiographs and isotope scans, because of the coexistence of degenerative disease, which may exist in older individuals. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Joints, Joints (Anatomy), Diagnosis, Development and progression, Rheumatic diseases, Inflammation, Synovitis

---

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis. I. Steroid regimens in the first two months. Influence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and disease activity on serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and polymyalgia rheumatica
• Abstracts: Doppler assessment of the pulsatility index of the middle cerebral artery during constriction of the fetal ductus arteriosus after indomethacin therapy
• Abstracts: Clinical assessment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Definitions of osteoarthritis in the knee and hand. Osteoarthritis: definitions and criteria
• Abstracts: A controlled study of hand function in nodal and erosive osteoarthritis. part 2 Feverfew in rheumatoid arthritis: a double blind, placebo controlled study
• Abstracts: Immunolocalisation of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (stromelysin) in rheumatoid synovioblasts (B cells): correlation with rheumatoid arthritis

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.