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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Polymyalgia Rheumatica Quiz: Check Your Knowledge

Quick, free PMR symptoms quiz with instant results-learn signs, tests, and care basics.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Maddy VoseUpdated Aug 25, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for a polymyalgia rheumatica and rheumatic disease symptoms quiz on teal background

Use this polymyalgia rheumatica quiz to spot common signs, tests, and treatment basics, and to check what you know in minutes. It's not a diagnosis, but it can guide your next questions and help you talk with a clinician. If you're comparing conditions, try our fibromyalgia symptoms quiz and the do i have lupus quiz for a broader view of overlapping symptoms.

Polymyalgia rheumatica typically presents with which hallmark symptom pattern in the shoulders?
Bilateral aching and morning stiffness of the shoulder girdle
Nocturnal numbness of the hands without pain
Sharp shoulder pain only during high-intensity exercise
Unilateral stabbing pain worsened by deep inspiration
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In polymyalgia rheumatica, muscle enzymes such as creatine kinase (CK) are usually normal.
False
True
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Polymyalgia rheumatica occurs most commonly in which age group?
Adolescents aged 12 to 18 years
Adults older than 50 years
Adults aged 20 to 30 years
Children under 10 years
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The initial treatment of choice for polymyalgia rheumatica is most often:
Low-to-moderate dose oral glucocorticoids (e.g., prednisone)
High-dose intravenous antibiotics
Long-term opioids
Immediate joint replacement surgery
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Morning stiffness lasting longer than 45 minutes is characteristic of polymyalgia rheumatica.
False
True
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Which laboratory markers are commonly elevated in polymyalgia rheumatica?
Bilirubin and ALT
Serum iron and ferritin
CK and aldolase
ESR and CRP
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Which finding best helps distinguish polymyalgia rheumatica from polymyositis?
Markedly elevated CK in PMR
Presence of Gottron papules in PMR
Proximal muscle atrophy early in PMR
Normal muscle strength despite pain in PMR
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A rapid clinical improvement within days after starting prednisone supports the diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica.
True
False
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Which imaging modality commonly shows bursitis or synovitis in shoulders and hips in polymyalgia rheumatica?
Plain chest radiograph
Musculoskeletal ultrasound
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
Coronary angiography
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An elevated rheumatoid factor (RF) is typical in polymyalgia rheumatica.
True
False
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Which of the following best describes the distribution of pain in polymyalgia rheumatica?
Isolated finger joint pain with morning gel
Proximal girdle aching involving shoulders and hips
Focal heel pain at the Achilles insertion
Localized lateral elbow pain only
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Polymyalgia rheumatica often coexists with giant cell arteritis.
False
True
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In polymyalgia rheumatica, distal small-joint erosions on X-ray are a defining feature.
False
True
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Which clinical feature is more suggestive of hypothyroid myopathy than PMR?
Proximal muscle weakness with elevated CK
Morning stiffness without weakness
Bilateral shoulder aching with normal CK
Hip girdle pain improved rapidly with prednisone
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About 40% to 60% of patients with giant cell arteritis have PMR symptoms.
False
True
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Which ACR/EULAR classification item supports PMR when present at diagnosis?
Isolated knee effusion with trauma
Positive anti-CCP antibodies
Morning stiffness greater than 45 minutes
Age under 30 years
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Which ethnic/geographic pattern has been observed with higher incidence of PMR?
Native Antarctic populations
Pacific island populations only
High-altitude Sherpa communities exclusively
Northern European ancestry populations
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Ultrasound evidence of bilateral subdeltoid bursitis supports the diagnosis of PMR.
True
False
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PET-CT may reveal large-vessel inflammation in some patients with PMR overlaps.
True
False
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Which biologic received FDA approval in 2023 for PMR with inadequate response to glucocorticoids or intolerance to tapering?
Adalimumab
Rituximab
Sarilumab
Etanercept
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Pathophysiology of Polymyalgia Rheumatica -

    Explain the underlying inflammatory mechanisms and key immunological factors contributing to polymyalgia rheumatica.

  2. Identify Common Clinical Signs -

    Describe the characteristic muscle pains, stiffness patterns, and systemic symptoms associated with this rheumatic condition.

  3. Differentiate Among Rheumatic Diseases -

    Compare polymyalgia rheumatica with similar muscular rheumatic conditions to improve diagnostic accuracy.

  4. Recall Diagnostic Criteria and Tests -

    Summarize essential lab values, imaging studies, and clinical criteria used in the polymyalgia rheumatica quiz context.

  5. Recognize Treatment Options -

    Outline first-line medications, tapering strategies, and adjunct therapies commonly used in managing polymyalgia rheumatica.

  6. Apply Knowledge Through Self-Assessment -

    Use the "do i have polymyalgia rheumatica quiz" to test your understanding and reinforce key concepts.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Diagnostic Criteria & Presentation -

    Identify key features such as bilateral shoulder and hip girdle pain with morning stiffness lasting over 45 minutes in patients over 50 years old. The 2012 ACR/EULAR criteria require age ≥50, elevated ESR/CRP, and prompt symptom relief within 72 hours of low-dose glucocorticoids. When prepping for the do i have polymyalgia rheumatica quiz, use the mnemonic "PMR PAIN" (Proximal pain, Morning stiffness, Rapid response).

  2. Inflammatory Markers & Lab Panel -

    Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ≥40 mm/hr and C-reactive protein (CRP) are classic in polymyalgia rheumatica, often exceeding twofold the upper limit of normal. A negative rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-CCP antibody help distinguish PMR from rheumatoid arthritis. Remember the formula ESR+CRP: a combined elevation score of >1 (when each is normalized to its cutoff) strongly suggests an inflammatory rheumatic condition.

  3. Imaging Techniques: Ultrasound & MRI -

    Musculoskeletal ultrasound can reveal subdeltoid bursitis and biceps tenosynovitis as hypoechoic fluid collections with Doppler hyperemia. MRI provides detailed synovitis and periarticular edema in shoulders and hips, improving sensitivity in challenging cases. Practice recognizing these signs during your rheumatic diseases quiz drills.

  4. First-Line Therapy & Taper Strategies -

    Initiate low-dose prednisone (12.5 - 25 mg/day) and expect marked symptom relief within 3 days, a hallmark for polymyalgia rheumatica test validity. A gradual taper (≈1 mg reduction every 4 weeks) minimizes relapse, with average treatment lasting 12 - 18 months. The phrase "low and slow" helps you recall slow taper protocols during the rheumatology symptoms quiz.

  5. Differential Diagnosis & Overlapping Conditions -

    Differentiate PMR from rheumatoid arthritis by noting the absence of joint erosions on X-ray and negative anti-CCP/RF, and from giant cell arteritis by monitoring for headaches or jaw claudication. Fibromyalgia can mimic widespread pain but lacks elevated ESR/CRP and rapid steroid response. Keep a comparison table handy for your muscular rheumatic conditions quiz to streamline differentiation.

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