differential diagnosis

Last reviewed 10/2023

PMR is a clinical diagnosis, hence it is important to distinguish it from other disorders that may mimic it (1).

  • rheumatological disease
    • giant cell arteritis and other vasculitis
    • rheumatoid arthritis
    • other inflammatory arthritides – spondyloarthropathy, gout etc.
    • connective tissue diseases
    • inflammatory myopathies (dermatomyositis, polymyositis)
    • multiple mechanical joint pains 
  • endocrine disorders
    • Hhypothyroid myopathy
    • hyperparathyroidism
  • nerological disorders
    • motor neurone disease
    • parkinsonism
  • infections
    • viral
    • bacterial - endocarditis, osteomyelitis, paraspinal infection
    • mycobacterial—eg, tuberculosis
  • malignant diseases
    • myeloma
    • lymphoma
    • renal cell carcinoma
    • carcinoma of prostate
  • Miscellaneous disorders
    • drug-induced myopathy—eg, from statins

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