Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a common chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by pain of the proximal muscles, general symptoms, and raised inflammatory markers.
Prednisolone remains a cornerstone in the treatment of PMR, but carries significant adverse effects including osteoporosis, diabetes, increased infection risk, and risk of adrenal insufficiency. Therefore, correct diagnosis and adequate monitoring of disease activity is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis and limit treatment duration. PMR remains largely an exclusion diagnosis, and reliable methods to diagnose and monitor the disease are lacking. Therefore, misdiagnosis is a common problem, and patients starting prednisolone prior to proper rheumatological assessment represents a specific diagnostic challenge.
The main objective of this study is to improve the diagnostics and monitoring of polymyalgia rheumatic (PMR). Specifically the objectives are:
- To investigate the diagnostic value of PET/CT for PMR diagnosis at baseline, during prednisolone treatment, and after temporary prednisolone cessation. Clinical diagnosis after 1 year serves as reference and patients not diagnosed with PMR are controls.
- To investigate if PET/CT can be used to monitor treatment response and relapse in PMR.
Contact Andreas Wiggers Nielsen, MD, PhD student, for more information.
Main supervisor: Ellen-Margrethe Hauge, Professor
Co-supervisors: Kresten Krarup Keller, MD, PhD & Lars Christian Gormsen, professor