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The process from symptom onset to rheumatology clinic in polymyalgia rheumatica

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Abstract

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disease of individuals aged over 50 years. Because of the concomitant malignancy possibility and the high prevalence of constitutional symptoms seen in this condition, patients with classical clinical picture often experience delay in diagnosis and treatment and are exposed to a wide list of laboratory and imaging procedures. In this study, we aimed to explore the adventure these patients experience from symptom onset to rheumatology clinic. A total of 106 PMR patients (84 women, 22 men) mean age 70.1 ± 8 were analyzed retrospectively. The time period from the onset of symptoms and referral to rheumatology specialists was explored. Diagnostic methods applied to these patients, antibiotic use and hospitalization during this period were recorded. The interval between the onset of the symptoms and admission to rheumatology unit was 13 ± 13 months. In this period, abdominal computed tomography (29.2 %), chest computed tomography (21.7 %), cranial magnetic resonance imaging (18.9 %) and whole-body scintigraphy (3.8 %) were applied to the patients. About 30 % of the patients were hospitalized for a mean period of 7 ± 3 days before referral to rheumatology unit, and 30 % of the patients were given antibiotics. In order to reduce the delay in the diagnosis of PMR and prevent unnecessary and expensive diagnostic methods, education of clinicians about the diagnosis of PMR may be beneficial.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Uludağ University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey

    Ediz Dalkılıç, Ayşe Nur Tufan, Ferhat Oksuz & Yavuz Pehlivan

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Uludağ University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey

    Emre Hafızoğlu & Merve Hafızoğlu

  3. Division of Geriatrics, Sevket Yilmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey

    Fatih Tufan

  4. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Uludağ University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey

    Mustafa Yurtkuran

Authors
  1. Ediz Dalkılıç
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  2. Ayşe Nur Tufan
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  3. Emre Hafızoğlu
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  4. Merve Hafızoğlu
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  5. Fatih Tufan
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  6. Ferhat Oksuz
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  7. Yavuz Pehlivan
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  8. Mustafa Yurtkuran
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Correspondence to Ayşe Nur Tufan.

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Dalkılıç, E., Tufan, A.N., Hafızoğlu, E. et al. The process from symptom onset to rheumatology clinic in polymyalgia rheumatica. Rheumatol Int 34, 1589–1592 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-014-3034-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-014-3034-y

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