RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A comparison of the sensitivity of diagnostic criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 626
OP 629
DO 10.1136/ard.2004.025296
VO 64
IS 4
A1 H A Bird
A1 B F Leeb
A1 C M Montecucco
A1 N Misiuniene
A1 G Nesher
A1 S Pai
A1 C Pease
A1 J Rovensky
A1 B Rozman
YR 2005
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/64/4/626.abstract
AB Objective: To compare the performance of the several different diagnostic criteria sets currently in use for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).Methods: 213 patients attending eight rheumatological centres in eight different European countries were studied. All had recently been referred and were considered by the senior investigator at each centre, selected because of their experience in treatment of PMR, to have this condition. By use of a standard international proforma, the requisite diagnostic points in each criteria set were sought. Sensitivity for each criterion from each set was then calculated, as well as the sensitivity of each criteria set as a whole.Results: Of four criteria sets compared, the Bird (1979) criteria performed best with a sensitivity of 99.5%, and the Hunder (1982) criteria second best, with sensitivity of 93.3%. These both performed significantly better than the two other criteria sets, though each of these was admittedly developed for rather specialised reasons.Conclusions: Although this study compares homogeneity, we suggest the Bird 1979 or Hunder 1982 criteria should be used whenever possible. Studies that have used alternative criteria may have less sensitivity in diagnosis.