Three new guidelines released for treatment and management of systemic vasculitis The American College of Rheumatology (ACR), in partnership with the Vasculitis Foundation (VF), released three new guidelines for the treatment and management of systemic vasculitis. Vasculitis is a group of about 20 rare diseases that have inflammation of blood vessels in common, which can restrict blood flow and damage vital organs. The three guidelines cover six forms of vasculitis, and a fourth guideline on Kawasaki disease will be released in the coming weeks. "Many rheumatologists may have limited experience caring for patients with these diseases," said Dr. Sharon Chung, Director of the Vasculitis Clinic at the University of California, San Francisco, and the lead investigator of the guidelines. "However, the treatment options for patients with vasculitis have expanded in recent years. Thus, these guidelines provide practitioners evidence-based recommendations to help navigate the treatment path for their patients."