Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis with sacroiliitis and osteitis pubis

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and temporal arteritis (TA) have been associat ed with a seronegative polyarthritis that can min-tic rheumatoid arthritis. Sacroiliitis and osteitis pubis are most often encountered in the differen t types of spondyloarthropathy. However, sacroiliitis and osteitis pubis ha ve rarely been described in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and tempor al arteritis. We present two patients, one with temporal arteritis and the other with polymyalgia rheumatica, who also had many features of a spondylo arthropathy, including sacroiliitis and osteitis pubis. In reviewing the li terature, we found 30 other patients with a diagnosis of PMR who also had s acroiliitis and/or osteitis pubis. We propose that the inflammatory arthrit is associated with polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis can involv e the axial joints, resembling a spondyloarthropathy. It is important for t he clinician to recognize that sacroiliitis and osteitis pubis have been as sociated with PMR and TA so that their radiographic presence does not dissu ade the clinician from making the correct diagnosis.