Systemic vasculitis: how little we know about their societal and economic burden.

This article attempts to perform an evaluation of the state of the art of the economic and societal burden of systemic vasculitis (VAs). Due to the rarity of these diseases and their variable clinical picture, few data are available in the literature on their health economic issues, and only some papers have been published that marginally examine the problem. Since VAs are severe conditions with a high medical and societal impact and determine high healthcare resource consumption, studies able to define societal, quality of life and economic burden of these pathologies are needed. Policy makers, private and public organisations involved in the care of VAs need data to programme future investment or make cost-effectiveness analysis for introducing new drugs or protocols.