Not PMR?

[Grannymiaow]

I had an appointment with a new rheumy, who reviewed past hip and pelvic X rays, and a head CT scan. 2017 and 2022 respectively.

On these he could see, and pointed out to me, calcium pyrophosphate crystals around my left hip, symphysis pubis, and around the dens. (Apparently I have crowned dens syndrome!)

He suggested that I have calcium pyrophosphate arthropathy, not PMR. Apparently CPP is fairly frequently misdiagnosed as PMR.

It was a new one on me.

Anyone else heard of it?

I'm to reduce my pred (2.75mgs at present), have a DEXA scan, and he'll see me again in the spring.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I have heard of crowded dens syndrome - although it is very rare! Given doctors struggle to have heard of PMR I'd think it wasn't really on their horizons! It can be treated with pred too - so why reduce it?

spine-health.com/conditions....

I'd like to hear more about his claim that CPP is often misdiagnosed as PMR. I know a couple of people who had GCA/PMR who developed pseudogout which this article

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK5...

says is an alternative name but it was very localised to a joint with heat and swelling - both of which are red flags that it may not be PMR. To be honest, I find it hard to envisage that they can be mistaken for one another.

[Grannymiaow in reply to PMRpro]

Many years ago I had what was probably pseudogout (in my late forties). Treated with NSAIDS when needed. I seemed to "grow out of it", and at the time I put it down to a bizarre symptom of the menopause.