BONE-MINERAL DENSITY IN PATIENTS WITH TEMPORAL ARTERITIS AND POLYMYALGIA-RHEUMATICA

Objective. To assess the influence of corticosteroids in the mineral c ontent of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), 56 patients, 28 wi th polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and 28 with temporal arteritis (TA) we re studied. Methods. The bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spin e and the femoral neck was measured by dual photon X-ray absorptiometr y. A control group (48 people) comparable in age and sex was also eval uated. Results. Compared with the controls, the patients with GCA had lower values of BMD in the femoral neck (men: p < 0.03; women: p < 0.0 01). In the lumbar spine differences were significant in women (p < 0. 05) but not in men (p < 0.1). Multiple regression analysis showed that the BMD at L2-L4 in men correlated with height and weight and was inv ersely related to the cumulative dose of corticosteroids and the durat ion of treatment. The BMD at L2-L4 in women correlated with height and weight, but not with corticosteroids. Multiple regression analysis in men showed that age and the total dose of corticosteroids were signif icant independent predictors of femoral BMD. In women BMD in the femor al neck was correlated with age and weight, but not with corticosteroi d treatment. Conclusion. The total dose and duration of corticosteroid treatment have been shown to be determinant factors of bone mass in p atients with GCA who received corticosteroids.