Abstract
In a study of 250 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, 7 (2.8%) had polymyalgia rheumatica or giant cell arteritis. All cases occurred in female patients over the age of 60 yr, a prevalence in this group of 9.3%. No cases of either disorder were seen in a control population of 150 female patients over the age of 50 yr attending a cardiac clinic at the same hospital. Awareness of this association may allow earlier diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome in elderly patients with thyroid disease.