Definition
With the Polymyalgie rheumatica it concerns an inflammatory and like the name already lets assume, rheumatic illness. It manifests itself by inflammation of blood vessels, the arteries that pump blood from the heart into the body. It occurs with a frequency of 50 affected persons per 100,000 inhabitants, so it is not at all so rare.
It mainly affects the muscles in the shoulder and pelvic girdle, since in most cases the aorta and arteries of the upper extremity are affected by the inflammation. Affected persons are usually over 60 years old. It is therefore a disease of advanced age.
Women are two to three times more frequently affected than men. In about 50% of cases, polymyalgia rheumatica is accompanied by a so-called giant cell arteritis. The two diseases overlap and cannot be strictly separated.
With giant cell arteritis, so-called giant cells are detectable in tissue examination. It usually occurs in the area supplied by the carotid artery (Arteria carotis). In about 20% of those affected by polymyalgia rheumatica, the form of giant cell arteritis is arteritis temporalis (inflammation of the temporal artery).
Guideline
The guideline for the diagnosis and therapy of polymyalgia rheumatica, which has been developed since 2015, is based on scientific studies. The aim is to achieve the best possible treatment outcome for the patient and to standardize therapies worldwide by applying guidelines. Unfortunately, the guideline on polymyalgia rheumatica is still in the process of being developed and will probably not be published until 2017. However, according to statements made so far, the guideline will confirm the therapeutic procedure usually applied in Germany to date.
Causes
A real cause, why some people fall ill with the Polymyalgia rheumatica and others do not, has not yet been found. One assumes that plants for the illness are genetically inherited. Most likely, the disease is triggered by an autoimmune process. In an autoimmune disease, cells of the immune system erroneously attack the body’s own cells.
