polymyalgia rheumatica /-mī·al′jə/ [Gk, polys + mys, muscle, algos, pain, rheuma, flux] , a chronic, episodic inflammatory disease of the large arteries that usually develops in people over 60 years of age. The disease primarily affects the arteries in muscles. It is characterized by pain and stiffness of the back, shoulder, or neck that is usually more severe on rising in the morning. There may also be a cranial headache, which affects the temporal and occipital arteries, causing a severe throbbing headache. Serious complications of polymyalgia rheumatica include arterial insufficiency, coronary occlusion, stroke, and blindness. Patients with the disease usually have a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The disease may follow a self-limited course. However, adrenocorticosteroids have proved highly effective in reducing inflammation and in speeding recovery.
