The history of polymyalgia rheumatica/giant cell arteritis

I. Portioli

Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

ABSTRACT
Only two years separate the initial descriptions of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) by Bruce in 1888 and giant cell arteritis (GCA) by Hutchinson in 1890. However, the existence of an association between these two conditions was definitely accepted only in 1964.
Even if PMR is generally accepted as a different disease from GCA, some authors deem PMR to be a manifestation of a generalised arteritis and use the term GCA to define PMR/GCA as a whole. The time has come to clarify this issue.

Key words
History, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis.

Please address correspondence and reprint requests to: Italo Portioli, MD, Professor of Medicine, Scientific Director of Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Viale Risorgimento no. 50, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000: 18 (Suppl. 20): S1-S3.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2000.