Autoimmune thyroid disease and the polymyalgia rheumatica-giant cell arteritis syndrome.
In a study of 250 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, seven (2.8%) were found to have polymyalgia rheumatica or giant cell arteritis. All cases occurred in female patients over the age of 60 years, a prevalence in this group of 9.3%. No cases of either disorder were seen in a control population of 150 female patients over the age of 50 years attending a cardiac clinic at the same hospital. Awareness of this association may allow earlier diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome in elderly patients with thyroid disease.
D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000150:complications*; D013577:Syndrome; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000150:complications*