PMR and GCA: Steroids or bust

摘要

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumati-ca (PMR) are two of very few rheumatological conditions where long-term glucocorticoids (GC) remain the mainstay of therapy. They occur in people aged >50 years, are more common in women and can occur concurrently (1). The pathophysiology is not clearly understood, but large vessel vasculitis is seen in association with both and PMR also overlaps with inflammatory arthritis (2).