TY - JOUR
T1 - Polymyalgia rheumatica/temporal arteritis
T2 - recent advances.
AU - Barilla-LaBarca, Maria Louise
AU - Lenschow, Deborah J.
AU - Brasington, Richard D.
PY - 2002/2
Y1 - 2002/2
N2 - Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)/temporal arteritis (TA) frequently causes significant morbidity in patients older than 50 years of age. This review highlights recent trends in clinical findings, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and laboratory and radiologic assessment of the disease. Although steroids are the mainstay of therapy because of their effectiveness and ease of administration, they have numerous side effects, particularly in an aging population. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that steroids only suppress clinical symptoms, while a smoldering level of damaging vascular inflammation persists. As a result, alternative agents are actively being investigated. We compare their successes and shortcomings and offer insight into their potential role in the treatment of this disease.
AB - Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)/temporal arteritis (TA) frequently causes significant morbidity in patients older than 50 years of age. This review highlights recent trends in clinical findings, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and laboratory and radiologic assessment of the disease. Although steroids are the mainstay of therapy because of their effectiveness and ease of administration, they have numerous side effects, particularly in an aging population. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that steroids only suppress clinical symptoms, while a smoldering level of damaging vascular inflammation persists. As a result, alternative agents are actively being investigated. We compare their successes and shortcomings and offer insight into their potential role in the treatment of this disease.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=18544395834&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11926-002-0022-0
DO - 10.1007/s11926-002-0022-0
M3 - Review article
C2 - 11798981
AN - SCOPUS:18544395834
SN - 1523-3774
VL - 4
SP - 39
EP - 46
JO - Current rheumatology reports
JF - Current rheumatology reports
IS - 1
ER -