[Incidence of polymyalgia rheumatica at a department of internal medicine]

Polymyalgia rheumatica can be characterised by pain and stiffness in the shoulder and pelvic girdles, with a raised ESR and a dramatic response to corticosteroid therapy. Case reports and clinical symptoms of six patients with polymyalgia rheumatica are reported by the authors. All of the patients were female with mean age 54.3 years. 11.8 months were registered between the initial symptoms of the disease and the establishment of the diagnosis. This relatively long period of time can be caused by the poor recognition of the disease, besides the difficulties of the diagnosis.