Pathophysiology
Clinical meaning
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a systemic inflammatory condition affecting periarticular structures (bursae, synovium) of the shoulder and hip girdles. Elevated IL-6 drives the acute phase response. PMR is closely associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA), with 15-20% of PMR patients developing GCA, which can cause irreversible vision loss from ophthalmic artery inflammation.
