Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica in Northwestern Turkey: clinical features and epidemiological data

CER122
2009 Vol.27, N°5
PI 0830, PF 0833
Brief Papers

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PMID: 19917168 [PubMed]

Received: 29/12/2008
Accepted : 08/05/2009
In Press: 03/12/2009
Published: 03/12/2009

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
In this study, we evaluated clinical and epidemiologic features of our giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients.
METHODS:
We retrospectively recorded down the general features of patients with GCA and PMR diagnosed at our center within the last 6 years. The incidence rates per 100000 aged ≥50 were calculated. In addition, we reported the frequencies of GCA/PMR in our previous epidemiologic study.
RESULTS:
Nineteen patients were diagnosed with GCA (10F, 9M) and 53 with isolated PMR (39F, 14M). The annual incidence for GCA in subjects ≥50 years old was 1.13/100000, and for PMR it was 3.15/100000. The incidence of GCA and PMR in females were, respectively, 1.14/100000 and 4.48/100000. In males, the incidences of GCA and PMR were, respectively, calculated as 1.1/100000 and 1.72/100000. In our population-based study, the prevalences of GCA and PMR (≥50 ages) were estimated as 20/100000. Fourteen (73.7%) GCA patients had symptoms of PMR. Two patients had developed unilateral and one patient bilateral permanent visual loss. Initial ESR was lower than 40 mm/hr in one GCA patient (5.3%) and in 6 PMR patients (11.3%). The median duration of follow-up was 16 months in GCA; and 8 months in PMR patients. One patient with PMR and another patient with GCA had lung cancer. One PMR patient had myelodysplastic syndrome. During follow-up, 4 patients with GCA died.
CONCLUSIONS:
We detected a lower frequency of GCA/PMR in our center in northwestern Turkey than in Scandinavian and southern European countries.