American College of Rheumatology Criteria for the Diagnosis of Vasculitis
Authors: Israel Heller
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Letters18 May 1999American College of Rheumatology Criteria for the Diagnosis of VasculitisIsrael Heller, MD, Aharon Isakov, MD, and Marcel Topilsky, MDIsrael Heller, MDTel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Heller)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Isakov)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Topilsky)Search for more papers by this author, Aharon Isakov, MDTel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Heller)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Isakov)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Topilsky)Search for more papers by this author, and Marcel Topilsky, MDTel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Heller)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Isakov)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Topilsky)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-130-10-199905180-00006 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:In contrast to the high-performance characteristics reported in the original description of the 1990 ACR criteria for the classification of vasculitis (1), Rao and colleagues (2) found some of these criteria to be poorly predictive. Both these authors and Dr. Hunder (3), in a related editorial, recognized at least two reasons for this disturbing finding. First, prevalence has a marked effect on the predictive value of clinical indicants, including classification criteria. This could contribute significantly to the discrepancy. Second, the criteria were originally intended for standardization in research. If they are used for diagnosis in epidemiologically variant ...References1. Hunder GG, Arend WP, Bloch DA, Calabrese LH, Fauci AS, Fries JF, et al . The American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of vasculitis. Introduction. Arthritis Rheum. 1990;33:1068-72. MedlineGoogle Scholar2. Rao JK, Allen NB, Pincus T. Limitations of the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria in the diagnosis of vasculitis. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:345-52. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Hunder GG. The use and misuse of classification and diagnostic criteria for complex diseases [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:417-8. LinkGoogle Scholar4. Bernelot Moens HJ, Van der Korst JK. Development and validation of a computer program using Bayes' theorem to support diagnosis of rheumatic disorders. Ann Rheum Dis. 1992;51:266-71. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Heller I, Isakov A, Blinder-Weiner S, Topilsky M. Bayesian classification of vasculitis: a simulation study. Methods Inf Med. 1995;34:259-65. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Heller)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Isakov)Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv 64239, Israel (Topilsky) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoLimitations of the 1990 American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria in the Diagnosis of Vasculitis Jaya K. Rao , Nancy B. Allen , and Theodore Pincus American College of Rheumatology Criteria for the Diagnosis of Vasculitis Jaya K. Rao , Nancy B. Allen , and Theodore Pincus American College of Rheumatology Criteria for the Diagnosis of Vasculitis Stephen G. Gelfand Metrics Cited ByBehçet's syndrome is not so rare: Why do we need to know?A paradigm of diagnostic criteria for polyarteritis nodosa: Analysis of a series of 949 patients with vasculitidesOutpatient assessment of systemic vasculitis 18 May 1999Volume 130, Issue 10Page: 861KeywordsEpidemiologyPrimary careRheumatologyVasculitis Issue Published: 18 May 1999 CopyrightCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...