A shared basis for overlapping immunopathologies in giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.

Abstract

Advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of giant cell arteritis1 offer an opportunity to revisit the link between giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. The advent of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-PET-CT has shown that polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis coexist in up to 60% of patients with persistent polymyalgia rheumatica,2 while simultaneously demonstrating characteristic patterns of arterial vasculitis in giant cell arteritis and capsular, fascial, and interspinous ligamentous inflammation in polymyalgia rheumatica.