Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica in northwestern Turkey: Clinical features and epidemiological data.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: 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 > or =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 > or =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 (> or =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. CONCLUSION: We detected a lower frequency of GCA/PMR in our center in northwestern Turkey than in Scandinavian and southern European countries.