title: "In sickness and in health": the peculiar occurrence of polymyalgia rheumatica in married cohabiting couples--a case series and review of the literature.
abstract: Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory rheumatic disorder in elderly people. It is frequently associated with giant-cell arteritis (GCA), although it is still debated if they are the same disease or two distinct pathologies. The etiology of PMR remains challenging, although current knowledge supports the role of both genetic and environmental factors. Among these, there is evidence that infectious agents could trigger the disease's onset in some cases. We describe the peculiar case where PMR occurred in two Italian married and cohabiting couples and provide a review of the literature for similar cases. This is the first reported occurrence of PMR in two conjugal pairs in Italy. Moreover, in the second case, the wife presented PMR associated with GCA. To date, seven cases of PMR and two of GCA in married couples are described in the literature. The occurrence of PMR in both a husband and a wife supports the pathogenetic role of an environmental factor.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gerardi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Iolanda Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rutigliano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scrivo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy. roberta.priori63@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Priori
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Riccieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valesini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Environmental factors; Etiopathogenesis; Giant-cell arteritis; Married couples; Polymyalgia rheumatica
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