Joint involvement in polymyalgia rheumatica/temporal arteritis

The coincidence of arthritis with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) or temporal arteritis (TA) is not well established. After reviewing the literature we found that 22% of patients suffering from PMR/TA present with additional signs of inflammatory joint involvement. Joints predominantly affected are the sternal junctions, knee and shoulder joints, and the wrists, involvement of the latter frequently resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome. With the exception of sternal junctions, bony erosions are rarely seen. In most cases, synovitis is mild, pauciarticular, asymmetrical, transient and not destructive. Little evidence for inflammatory involvement of spine or sacroiliac joints was found, thus, back pain in these patients should be considered as caused by osteoporosis of the spinal column, mostly due to prolonged corticosteroid treatment.