• Amir Emamifar, Søren Hess, Oke Gerke, Anne Pernille Hermann, Helle Laustrup, Per Syrak Hansen, Peter Thye-Rønn, Niels Marcussen, Frank Svendstrup, Rannveig Gildberg-Mortensen, Bang Jacob Christian JC, Ziba Ahangarani Farahani, Stavros Chrysidis, Pia Toftegaard, Andreasen Rikke Asmussen RA, Sebastian le Greves, Hanne Randi Andersen, Rudolf Nezlo Olsen, and Hansen Inger Marie Jensen IMJ.
• Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital, Svendborg Hospital, Svendborg Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Southwest Jutland, Esbjerg Centre of Health Economics Research, University of Southern Denmark Department of Endocrinology Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense Diagnostic center, Odense University Hospital, Svendborg Hospital, Svendborg Department of Pathology, Odense University Hospital, Odense Department of Ear Nose Throat Surgery Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital, Svendborg Hospital, Svendborg Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Southwest Jutland, Esbjerg Patient Research Partner, Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital, Svendborg Hospital, Svendborg, Denmark.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Jun 1; 96 (26): e7297.

IntroductionPolymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are common inflammatory conditions. The diagnosis of PMR/GCA poses many challenges since there are no specific diagnostic tests. Recent literature emphasizes the ability of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) to assess global disease activity in inflammatory diseases. 18F-FDG PET/CT may lead to the diagnosis at an earlier stage than conventional imaging and may also assess response to therapy. With respect to the management of PMR/GCA, there are 3 significant areas of concern as follows: vasculitis process/vascular stiffness, malignancy, and osteoporosis.Methods And AnalysisAll patients with suspected PMR/GCR referred to the Rheumatology section of Medicine Department at Svendborg Hospital, Denmark. The 4 separate studies in the current protocol focus on: the association of clinical picture of PMR/GCA with PET findings; the validity of 18F-FDG PET/CT scan for diagnosis of PMR/GCA compared with temporal artery biopsy; the prevalence of newly diagnosed malignancies in patients with PMR/GCA, or PMR-like syndrome, with the focus on diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT scan compared with conventional workup (ie, chest X-ray/abdominal ultrasound); and the impact of disease process, and also steroid treatment on bone mineral density, body composition, and vasculitis/vascular stiffness in PMR/GCA patients.Ethics And DisseminationThe study has been approved by the Regional Ethics Committee of the Region of Southern Denmark (identification number: S-20160098) and Danish Data Protection Agency (J.nr 16/40522). Results of the study will be disseminated via publications in peer-reviewed journals, and presentation at national and international conferences.

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