POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA

Course overview

POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA (PMR) IS A RHEUMATIC DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY PAIN AND STIFFNESS AROUND THE NECK, SHOULDER AND HIP AREA. THIS DISORDER IS MORE COMMON IN WHITE ADULTS OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE. IT IS AN INFLAMMATORY CONDITION ASSOCIATED WITH AN ELEVATION OF ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE (ESR) AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) BEING THE COMMON FINDINGS. PMR PATIENTS CAN HAVE COEXISTING AND/OR DEVELOP GIANT CELL ARTERITIS (GCA). SOME AUTHORS CONSIDER GIANT-CELL ARTERITIS (GCA) TO BE AN EXTREME ENTITY OF THE SAME SPECTRUM OF DISORDERS AS PMR. CHALLENGES IN MANAGING PMR LIE IN CORRECTLY DIAGNOSING THE CONDITION AND APPROPRIATE TREATMENT WHICH WOULD INVOLVE A LONG PERIOD OF FOLLOW-UP. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSE, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND PRESENTATION OF POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.