title: [Clinical course characteristics of polymyalgia arteritica. Study of 16 cases].
abstract: Clinical and biological characteristics are studied in 16 patients with polymyalgia arteritica. 12 of them were diagnosed by biopsy of the temporal artery and the other 4 because they presented clinical, biological data and a high response to corticosteroids. There were no differences according to sex. Most patients (75%) had symptoms since 1-6 months, headache being the most common (75%). Fever (56%), polymyalgia (50%), weight loss (37%), intermittent claudication, loss of vision and arthritis (12%) were the symptoms seen in these patients. ERS was high in all cases, hemoglobin was less than 8 g/100 ml in 8 cases and an increase of alfa-2-globuline was found in 8 patients. Temporal artery palpation was abnormal in 11 patients. Two of 5 patients who presented a normal arterial palpation had a positive biopsy. All patients received 6-metil-prednisolone. 3 are well after 3, 4 and 6 months therapy. 8 are also well but receiving small doses of steroids as treatment.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000473:pathology
vernacular_title: Características clínico-evolutivas de la polimialgia arterítica. Estudio de 16 casos.