Behn A R, Perera T, Myles A B
Ann Rheum Dis. 1983 Aug;42(4):374-8. doi: 10.1136/ard.42.4.374.
In a prospective study of 176 patients in whom polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) or giant cell arteritis (GCA) had been diagnosed between 1968 and 1980 the effect of corticosteroid treatment was studied. In those with PMR alone an initial regimen of 10 mg prednisolone daily and for the majority of those with GCA 20 mg daily were adequate to control symptoms. No patient suffered a serious disease complication after starting treatment. Regular follow-up enabled the minimum effective corticosteroid dose to be used. Complications of treatment were infrequent. Corticosteroid treatment has been withdrawn from 72 patients after a mean of 31 months treatment (range 3-103 months). Thirty subsequently relapsed, all within 21 months of withdrawal. No clinical feature predicted those who were more likely to relapse. No rigid treatment schedule should be used in these diseases.
在一项对1968年至1980年间诊断为风湿性多肌痛（PMR）或巨细胞动脉炎（GCA）的176例患者的前瞻性研究中，对皮质类固醇治疗的效果进行了研究。仅患有PMR的患者，初始方案为每日10毫克泼尼松龙，而大多数患有GCA的患者每日20毫克就足以控制症状。开始治疗后没有患者出现严重的疾病并发症。定期随访使得能够使用最低有效剂量的皮质类固醇。治疗并发症很少见。平均治疗31个月（范围3 - 103个月）后，72例患者停用了皮质类固醇治疗。其中30例随后复发，均在停药后21个月内复发。没有临床特征能够预测哪些患者更可能复发。在这些疾病中不应采用严格的治疗方案。
