The history of polymyalgia rheumatica/giant cell arteritis

Only two years separate the initial descriptions of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) by Bruce in 1888 and giant cell arteritis (GCA) by Hutchinson in 1890. However the existence of an association between these two conditions was definitely accepted only in 1964. Even if PMR is generally accepted as a different disease from GCA, some authors deem PMR to be a manifestation of a generalised arteritis and use the term GCA to define PMR/GCA as a whole. The rime has come to clarify this issue.