2016 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 135-142
Objective: Bird’s criteria for Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) were primarily published in 1979.The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features in Japanese PMR patients treated at our hospital using Bird’s criteria.
Patients and Methods: Seventy-nine patients with PMR diagnosed according to Bird’s criteria were studied. We examined the items of Bird’s criteria, laboratory findings (CRP, ESR, CH50, MMP-3 and autoantibodies) and primary dosage of prednisolone (PSL).
Results: The average number of items in Bird’s criteria was 3.9 in the PMR patients. Only one patient and five patients complicated with Giant cell (temporal) arteritis and malignancy, respectively. The mean primary dosage of PSL was 14.3±5.7mg/day. In eight patients (10.1%), PSL therapy could be completely withdrawn. The primary dosage of PSL was not related with laboratory findings (CRP, ESR, CH50, MMP-3) or the number of items in Bird’s criteria. The dosage of PSL was higher in PMR patients with “depression and/or loss of weight” and “male” than in PMR patients without these items (p<0.01).
Conclusion: The primary dosage of PSL in the treatment of PMR tended to be decided by physique and physical status compared to the results of laboratory findings. Additional studies of 2012 EULAR/ACR new classification criteria for PMR with or without ultrasound findings in Japanese patients will be required.
