Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis

Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis - an overview with a focus on important factors contributing to the severity of the disease.- Diagnostic criteria for PMR and GCA.- Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Temporal Arteritis and Occurrence of Malignant Tumors - sine syndromes in PMR and GCA.- GCA and Takayasu's disease.- Vascular complications of PMR and GCA.- Coronary involvement and atherosclerosis in Giant Cell Arteritis.- T cells and their role in Polymyalgia Rheumatica.- Cytokines in Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis.- Genetic factors in Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica.- Chronobiology of Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis.- Endocrinologic changes in PMR and GCA.- Imaging techniques, e.g. Ultrasonography, PET/18FDG in PMR and GCA.- Histopathology of Giant Cell (temporal) Arteritis - changes in aorta.- Management of PMR and GCA.- Biologicals in the treatment of Polymyalgia Rheumatica andGiant Cell Arteritis.-  Therapy of resistant forms of PMR and GCA.- Monitoring tools for PMR and GCA.

Jozef Rovenský, MD, PhD, DSc, graduated in Medicine from Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic in 1966 and subsequently completed specializations in Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, and Clinical Immunology at the Postgraduate Medical School, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. He was awarded his PhD from the School of Medicine (Internal Medicine), Frantisek Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic and his DSc from the School of Medicine (Internal Medicine), Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. In 1990 he was appointed Director of the Research Institute of Rheumatic Diseases, Piestany, Slovak Republic and in 1991 became Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Masaryk University. In 1993, Dr. Rovenský was awarded the Silver Medal of the Slovak Medical Society for contributions to medical activity and in 1995 he was appointed Professor of Internal Medicine at Masaryk University. He has served on the editorial boards of various journals, including Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, and is a member of the Advisory Committee for Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. He is the author of more than 200 publications.

Burkhard F. Leeb, MD, PhD, is Director of the 2nd Dept. of Medicine, Center for Rheumatology, Lower Austria State Hospital in Stockerau, Austria, Director of the Karl Landsteiner Institute for Clinical Rheumatology and is affiliated with the Medical University of Graz and the Karl Landsteiner Private Medical University in Krems. He graduated from the Medical Faculty, University of Vienna, in 1981 and later completed specializations in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Dr. Leeb was a board member of the Austrian Society for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation from 1998 to 2012, and served as President of the Society from 2008 to 2010. He served as the co-chairman of the polymyalgia rheumatica subcommittee for ESCISIT (EULAR standing committee for clinical trials, including therapeutic trials) and co-convenor of the EULAR task forces for