08
April
2021
|
19:49 PM
America/New_York

Tocilizumab improves GCA outcomes in patients with polymyalgia, cranial symptoms

Healio Rheumatology reports on the findings of an HSS study published in the Seminars in Arthritis & Rheumatism by rheumatologist Robert F. Spiera, MD and colleagues, showing tocilizumab improves outcomes in patients with Giant-cell Arteritis (GCA) who present with polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms only, cranial symptoms only or both at baseline.

“Giant-cell Arteritis [GCA] is a heterogeneous disorder with a variety of recognized clinical presentations,” noted Dr. Spiera. “Some patients present with cranial ischemic symptoms such as severe headaches or visual loss. Others can present primarily with systemic complaints related to their underlying inflammatory state including prominent polymyalgia rheumatica-like symptoms.” Dr. Spiera explained, “Some of those patients have cranial symptoms as well, but some do not, and there is a recognized subtype of patients with ‘large vessel vasculitis’ in whom inflammation is recognized in the aorta or its major branches but without localizing cranial complaints.” He added, “In the GiACTA trial, tocilizumab was demonstrated to be effective in affording disease control and having a significant steroid-sparing benefit in GCA. The trial included patients with these different presenting features.”

Read the full article at Healio.com/news/rheumatology.