polymyalgia arthralgia syndrome (PMAS)

Introduction

If arthralgia/myalgia has been of at least 3 months duration: Initial diagnostic workup:

Laboratory

• anti-nuclear antibody (ANA)
• rheumatoid factor (RF)
• serum C-reactive protein (CRP)
• erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (serum TSH)

Management

• trial of steroids, prednisone 40 mg PO QD for 6 days
• return to clinic in one week
• if good response to prednisone & seronegative (ANA, RF), begin hydroxychloroquine (9 month trial)

More general terms

• joint disease; articular disease; arthropathy
• syndrome