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. 2019 Aug 27;3(2):rkz033. doi: 10.1093/rap/rkz033

Table 1.

Different sets of criteria for the diagnosis and classification of PMR

Bird criteria, 1979 Jones and Hazleman criteria, 1981 Chuang and Hunder criteria, 1982 Healey criteria, 1984 ACR/EULAR criteria, 2012
Disease onset Onset of illness within 2 weeks Disease duration >2 months Bilateral aching and stiffness ≥ 1 month in two of the following: neck/torso, shoulders/upper arms, hips/thighs Persistent pain ≥1 month in two of the following: neck, shoulders, pelvic girdle
Morning stiffness Morning stiffness >1 h Morning stiffness >1 h Morning stiffness >1 h Morning stiffness >45 min (two points)
Shoulder/pelvic/hip pain Bilateral shoulder pain with/without stiffness Shoulder or pelvic girdle pain without muscle weakness Hip pain/restricted range of motion (one point)
Upper arm tenderness Bilateral upper arm tenderness
Exclusions by signs/symptoms/laboratory values Absence of objective signs of muscle disease Absence of other joint involvement (one point)
Absence of RF or anti-CCP antibodies (two points)
Age at onset Age ≥ 65 years Age ≥ 50 years
ESR/CRP Initial ESR ≥40mm/h ESR >30 mm/h or CRP >6 mg/l ESR >40 mm/h ESR >40 mm/h
Absence of other rheumatic diseases Absence of RA Exclusion of other diagnosis, with the exception of GCA Absence of other joint or musculoskeletal diseases
Response to glucocorticoids Fast and dramatic response to systemic glucocorticoids Rapid response to prednisolone (≤20 mg/day)
Signs on ultrasonography If ultrasonography available, ≥ one shoulder with subdeltoid bursitis, biceps tenosynovitis or glenohumeral synovitis (posterior/axillary); and ≥ hip with synovitis/trochanteric bursitis (one point)
If ultrasonography available, both shoulders with subdeltoid bursitis, biceps tenosynovitis or glenohumeral synovitis (one point)
Depression/weight loss Depression/weight loss
Requirements for diagnosis Diagnosis of probable PMR requires at least three of the above criteria All the above criteria required for diagnosis of PMR All the above criteria required for diagnosis of PMR Diagnosis of PMR requires the age of ≥50 years and the fulfilment of at least three criteria Diagnosis with PMR requires the age of ≥50 years, bilateral shoulder aching, abnormal CRP/ESR levels and at least four points (without ultrasonography)/at least five points (with ultrasonography)