Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
First profiling of the national Swiss Clinical Quality Management giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica registry
Authors' conclusion
Imaging has largely replaced histology for GCA diagnosis. Despite 75% of GCA patients receiving tocilizumab, one-third remained on glucocorticoids beyond 2 years.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) or polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in the national Swiss Clinical Quality Management (SCQM) registry, August 2020–June 2024337 GCA, 99 PMR
- Participants
- 436 patients
- Exposure
- GCA vs PMR
- GCAn = 337
- PMRn = 99
- Outcome
- Patient characteristics, diagnostic approaches and treatment patterns
Methodological detailsnational registry, descriptive
- National registry
- Descriptive
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Patient characteristics, diagnostic approaches and treatment patterns
Female GCA 64% · PMR 56%
- GCA: cranial symptoms at diagnosis
- 81%
- GCA: visual symptoms at diagnosis
- 31%
- GCA: polymyalgic symptoms at diagnosis
- 43%
- PMR: shoulder girdle pain
- 95%
- PMR: pelvic girdle pain
- 85%
- PMR: neck pain
- 44%
- GCA: US used for diagnosis (most used)
- 76%
- GCA: PET-CT used
- 59%
- GCA: MRI used
- 40%
- GCA: temporal artery biopsy performed
- 29%
- GCA: temporal artery biopsy positivity rate
- 66%
- GCA: still on GC at 6 months
- 79%
- GCA: still on GC at 12 months
- 50%
- GCA: still on GC at 24 months
- 37%
- Steroid-sparing agents prescribed
- 77%
- Tocilizumab (most common steroid-sparing agent)
- 73%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Common comorbidities
- Hypertension, GCA
- 51%
- Hypertension, PMR
- 44%
- Diabetes, GCA
- 15%
- Diabetes, PMR
- 12%
- Osteoporosis, GCA
- 26%
- Osteoporosis, PMR
- 15%
Original publication
First profiling of the national Swiss Clinical Quality Management giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica registry. Clin Exp Rheumatol. Published 22 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →