Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis. Related conditions with differing therapies.

Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis are entities seen chiefly in older adults. Polymyalgia rheumatica is characterized by muscle and joint aches and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and it responds rapidly to low-dose corticosteroid therapy. Temporal arteritis is a vasculitic process, the diagnosis of which must be established by invasive procedures. Higher doses of steroids are necessary to treat it, and the potential for steroid-induced side effects is high.