26th February 2025

A 74-year-old male has been referred to rheumatology clinic by his general practitioner.

A 74-year-old male has been referred to rheumatology clinic by his general practitioner. He has had a 6-week history of bilateral shoulder pain and increasing neck stiffness. It came on almost overnight, and he initially thought he might have slept awkwardly, but it has not improved and, in fact, continued to deteriorate. He has reached the point where he requires assistance from his wife to get dressed, and it takes him hours to get going in the morning. He has always suffered with occasional headaches, which have not changed in character recently, and he denies any visual symptoms or jaw claudication.

Prior to this episode he was fit and well, with no past medical history, and was completely independent with activities of daily living. 

His blood tests are shown below:

Given the likely diagnosis, what is the most appropriate treatment?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.