Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, Temporal Arteritis (Giant Cell Arteritis) and Polymyalgia Rheumatica in a Single Patient

Abstract

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), an autoimmune disorder, is well known to be in some cases associated with some other autoimmune disorders. We report a patient with PBC who presented giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) which are probably both autoimmune disorders.

A Case of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in a Patient with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica

“…PMR is an inflammatory, presumably autoimmune, rheumatic condition characterized by aching and morning stiffness in the shoulders, hip girdle, and neck. An association between PMR and PBC has been reported, but the frequency of concomitant disease presentation is not known [7,8,9]. …”

Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA)-associated Vasculitis Associated with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: A Case Report and Literature Review

“…Therefore, it appears that the lower limb numbness was a symptom of mononeuritis multiplex due to MPA rather than SS. In previous cases of PBC complicated by vasculitis, other forms of vasculitis, in addition to AAV, were also reported, including large vessel vasculitis [Takayasu's arteritis (15)(16)(17) and giant cell arteritis (18)] and immunoglobulin Aassociated vasculitis (19). Therefore, this phenomenon is not unique to AAV.…”

Liver involvement in polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis

“…However, liver biopsy-associated data were lacking for most of these patients. To the best of our knowledge, the association of PMR/GCA with biopsy-proven PBC was reported in only one case [9].…”

“…In the paper of Sattar et al [9], PMR patients were classified according to their clinical and laboratory features (girdles' pain, morning stiffness and raised inflammatory markers) after excluding other causes of polyarthritis and myopathies. However, liver biopsy-associated data were lacking for most of these patients.…”