American College of Rheumatology

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is an ethically-driven, professional membership organization committed to improving the care of patients with rheumatic disease and advancing the rheumatology sub-specialty. Its headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia, US.

Mission

Founded in 1934, they are a not-for-profit, global medical society that serves over 8,400 physicians, health professionals, and scientists worldwide. They are a professional membership organization committed to improving the care of patients with rheumatic disease and advancing the rheumatology sub-specialty.

Types of rheumatic diseases

• Osteoarthritis, the most prevalent type of arthritis, which primarily affects and destroys cartilage, the soft tissue that cushions the ends of bones within joints

• Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the synovium, a soft tissue that lines the joints, leading to inflammation

• Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition marked by tender points and localized pain throughout the musculoskeletal system

• Systemic lupus erythematosus, or simply lupus, an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in numerous parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, blood, lungs, heart, and brain

• Gout, a type of arthritis that develops when needle-like crystals of uric acid deposit in the joints, most often those of the big toe

• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the most common form of arthritis in children, which may be accompanied by fevers and rashes

• Infectious arthritis, or arthritis that's caused by an infection, such as Lyme disease or Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria behind gonorrhea

• Psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis (and also considered a spondlyoarthropathy) that affects the fingers and toes and is associated with the skin disease psoriasis

• Polymyositis, which affects the muscles and can affect the entire body

• Bursitis, an inflammation of the bursas small fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction between bones

• Ankylosing spondylitis, the most common spondyloarthropathy, which may affect the hips, shoulders, and knees, in addition to the spine

• Reactive arthritis, or Reiter's syndrome, a spondlyoarthropathy that develops after an infection of the urinary tract, bowels, or other organs

• Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, an autoimmune rheumatic disease that leads to a thickening and tightening of the skin and inflammation and scarring in various other parts of the body, including the blood vessels, joints, and certain organs

• Polymyalgia rheumatica, which causes pain and stiffness in tendons, muscles, ligaments, and tissues around joints

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Learn more

• American College of Rheumatology Website

firm, whitish, flexible connective tissue found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract, in structures such as the external ear, and in the articulating surfaces of joints

cartilage firm, whitish, flexible connective tissue found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract, in structures such as the external ear, and in the articulating surfaces of joints