title: A follow-up study of polymyalgia rheumatica: evidence of chronic axial synovitis.
abstract: A follow-up study of 23 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica 3.2 yr after onset and 2.6 yr after diagnosis showed that (1) 15 of 16 still had abnormal joint scans; (2) 18 of 23 still needed antiinflammatory drugs; (3) 16 of 23 believed they still had the disease; (4) erythrocyte sedimentation rates were persistently elevated beyond the 90th percentile in 11 patients (47%); and (5) 7 of 18 patients with available roentgenograms had joint abnormalities. We suggest that polymyalgia rheumatica is a chronic arthritis affecting primarily the proximal joints.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010000:Osteitis / Q000150:complications; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013585:Synovitis / Q000150:complications*