Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis; diagnosis and side effects of low-dose long-term glucocorticoid therapy] |
| |
Authors: | H J Hatz K Helmke |
| |
Affiliation: | IV. Med. Abteilung/Rheumatologie und Immunologie, St?dt. KH München-Bogenhausen. |
| |
Abstract: | Due to good therapeutic results and few side-effects so-called "low-dose glucocorticoid therapy" (ldgc) with daily glucosteroid dosage below 10 mg prednisolone-equivalent has recently been recommended in managing polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis. This fact is of important interest, since mean therapy time is often over a period of five years. An open-prospective study with 75 patients in a rheumatological unit was done in which different clinical histories were examined and glucosteroid side effects of 47 patients who had received therapy over six months were analyzed. Main side-effect shown was osteoporosis (n = 7), other known steroid-side effects were quite seldom (less than 5%). Dosage regimens and therapy monitoring criteria are proposed. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|