Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Diagnostic Criteria for Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Bird's or Wood's criteria

Presence of three or more of the following, or at least one of the following plus positive results on temporal artery biopsy:

1. 
   
   Bilateral shoulder pain and/or stiffness
2. 
   
   Less than two weeks from onset of symptoms to maximal symptoms
3. 
   
   ESR greater than 40 mm per hour
4. 
   
   Morning stiffness lasting longer than one hour
5. 
   
   Patient older than 65 years
6. 
   
   Depression and/or weight loss
7. 
   
   Bilateral upper arm tenderness

Jones and Hazleman's criteria

Presence of all of the following:

1. 
   
   Shoulder and pelvic girdle muscle pain without weakness
2. 
   
   Morning stiffness
3. 
   
   Symptom duration of more than two months unless treated
4. 
   
   ESR greater than 30 mm per hour or C-reactive protein level greater than 6 mg per L
5. 
   
   No rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis or malignant neoplasm
6. 
   
   No objective signs of muscle disease
7. 
   
   Prompt and dramatic response to systemic corticosteroid therapy