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Vasculitis
FRI0312 The frequency and severity of patient-reported symptoms in giant cell arteritis
  1. S Monti1,2,
  2. A Leong3,
  3. J Robson4,
  4. A Craven2,
  5. PA Merkel5,
  6. R Watts6,
  7. R Luqmani2
  1. 1Rheumatology, University of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy, Pavia, Italy
  2. 2NDORMS, Rheumatology Department, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
  3. 3School of medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  4. 4Rheumatology, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England; School of Clinical Sciences at South Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
  5. 5Division of Rheumatology and Department of Biosatistics and Clincial Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
  6. 6Rheumatology, Norwich Medical School, Bob Champion Research and Education Building, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norwich, United Kingdom

Abstract

Background A better understanding of the patients' perspectives is pivotal in the development of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in vasculitis.

Objectives To assessed patients' perspective of disease amongst cases with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) compared to comparator illnesses mimicking large vessel vasculitis (LVV) included in the Diagnostic and Classification Criteria in Vasculitis Study (DCVAS) database.

Methods Patient Description of Illness (PDI) forms were circulated amongst Centres participating in the DCVAS study. The PDI form records up to 10 free-text severity ranked symptoms in descending order of severity, a body-map to localise the sites of pain and a free-text short summary of illness description. Free text was reorganized through content and thematic analysis.

Results PDI forms from 89 patients with GCA and 28 comparators (COM) were analysed. There was no difference in age and sex distribution between groups (mean age 70±8 for GCA and 69±12 for COM). The symptoms description and frequency of the first most severe aspect of disease, including the patient's own words, is presented in Table 1. The symptom regarded as the most severe by both groups was headache. While there were no differences in the frequency of sudden visual loss, visual symptoms were reported more commonly as the most severe feature by COM vs GCA (21% vs 8%, p=0.05). Arthralgia was more frequently reported by COM vs GCA (11% vs 1%, p=0.01). Headache was the most frequently reported symptom in both groups. Patients with GCA reported jaw claudication (37%) as the second most frequently reported symptom, while COM reported arthralgia/arthritis (32%). Shoulder/neck pain was the third most important symptom in GCA (33%), while fatigue was the third most common complaint among COM (21%). Fatigue was reported as the fourth most common feature by 30% of GCA patients.

View this table:
Table 1.

Top 10 most recurrent patient-reported symptoms and correspondent severity rank in giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Comparators (COM)

Conclusions Headache was the most frequent and most severe symptom reported by patients with GCA and comparators. However, the reported frequencies and severities of other symptoms were significantly different between the two groups.

Disclosure of Interest None declared

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-eular.4051

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