Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant-Cell Arteritis

To the Editor: The prognosis for patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis may not be as benign as intimated by Salvarani et al. (July 25 issue). 1 Despite the rapid initial response to corticosteroids, treatment is usually required for at least two years in the majority of patients. Studies in the United States suggest a shorter duration of therapy, in contrast to the European experience; this difference may be a manifestation of variations in demographic characteristics, the selection of patients, or the study design. In a study in Sweden, only 24 percent of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica, 16 percent of . . .