Source of Polymyalgia Rheumatica symptoms
Polymyalgia Rheumatica is a systemic inflammatory condition, frequently with constitutional symptoms.
Because synovitis of the hips and shoulders is difficult to detect clinically, it is believed by many authors to be the cause of the proximal stiffness and pain. This is supported by scintigraphic evidence of axial synovitis, synovial fluid analysis, and synovial biopsy. In contrast, magnetic resonance imaging data have led authors to speculate that tenosynovitis (biceps) and bursitis (subdeltoid, subacromial, trochanteric, and interspinous) are the cause of patients’ symptoms. Muscle biopsies are usually normal or show nonspecific noninflammatory changes.
