Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by COOMES, E. N.
Right arrow Articles by KAY, A. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by COOMES, E. N.
Right arrow Articles by KAY, A. G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1976 British Society for Rheumatology

other

A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 102 PATIENTS WITH THE POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA SYNDROME

E. N. COOMES, R. M. ELLIS{dagger} and A. G. KAY*

St. Stephen's and St. Mary Abbot's Hospitals London

Correspondence to: Requests for reprints to Dr. E. N. Coomes, St. Stephen's Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW109TH.

A prospective study was undertaken of 102 patients initially diagnosed as having polymyalgia rheumatica/temporal arteritis. The mean period of follow-up was 5.2 years.

The delay between onset of symptoms and referral for specialist opinion was 6.2 months. The proportion of patients referred with the correct diagnosis by the general practitioner increased from 4% to 10% over a 10-year period from 1964 to 1974.

Seventy-four per cent of patients presented with limitation of shoulder movement. During follow-up, 12% of patients developed myocardial infarction and aorto-fernoral occlusive disease occurred in 6%. One patient became blind due to central artery occlusion. Steroid therapy had to be continued for at least five years in 84% of cases.

*Present address: Department of Rheumatology, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT.

{dagger}Present address: Department of Orthopaedics, Rochester University, U.S.A.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.