Induction of remission is difficult due to frequent relapse during tapering steroids in Korean patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.
Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory disease affecting elderly and involving the shoulder and pelvic girdles. No epidemiological study of polymyalgia rheumatica was conducted in Korea. We retrospectively evaluated patients with polymyalgia rheumatica followed up at the rheumatology clinics of 10 tertiary hospitals. In total 51 patients, 36 patients (70.6%) were female. Age at disease onset was 67.4 yr. Twenty-three patients (45.1%) developed polymyalgia rheumatica in winter. Shoulder girdle ache was observed in 45 patients (90%) and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (> 40 mm/h) in 49 patients (96.1%). Initial steroid dose was 23.3 mg/d prednisolone equivalent. Time to normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 4.1 months. Only 8 patients (15.7%) achieved remission. Among 41 patients followed up, 28 patients (68.3%) had flare at least once. Number of flares was 1.5 ± 1.6. The frequency of flare was significantly lower in patients with remission (P = 0.02). In Korea, polymyalgia rheumatica commonly develops during winter. Initial response to steroid is fairly good, but the prognosis is not benign because remission is rare with frequent relapse requiring long-term steroid treatment.
Department of Rheumatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
Hyoun-Ah
HA
Kim
Jisoo
J
Lee
You-Jung
YJ
Ha
Sang-Hyon
SH
Kim
Chan-Hee
CH
Lee
Hyo-Jin
HJ
Choi
Han-Joo
HJ
Baek
Mie Jin
MJ
Lim
Won
W
Park
Sungiae
S
Choi
Yeon-Sik
YS
Hong
Yoo-Hyun
YH
Lee
Bo-Ram
BR
Koh
Chang-Hee
CH
Suh
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D013256:Steroids