Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rheumatic Fever and Valvular Heart Disease

  • Chapter
Essential Cardiology

Abstract

Rheumatic fever causes most cases of acquired heart disease in children and young adults worldwide. It is generally classified as a collagen vascular disease where the inflammatory insult is directed mainly against the tissues of the heart, joints, and the central nervous system. The inflammatory response, which is characterized by fibrinoid degeneration of collagen fibrils and connective tissue ground substance, is triggered by a throat infection with Group A β-hemolytic streptococci (GAS). The destructive effects on cardiac valve tissue accounts for most of the morbidity and mortality seen in the disease through the serious hemodynamic disturbances produced.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. McLaren MJ, Hawkins DM, Koornhof HJ, et al. Epidemiology of rheumatic heart disease in black schoolchildren of Soweto, Johannesburg. Br Med J 1975;3:474–478.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Siegel AC, Johnson EE, Stablemen GH. Controlled studies of streptococcal pharyngitis in a pediatric population. 1. Factors related to the attack rate of rheumatic fever. N Engl J Med 1961;265:559–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Dale JB, Beachey EH. Sequence of myosin cross-reactive epitopes of streptococcal M protein. J Exp Med 1986;164:1785–1790.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Haffejee I. Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: the current state of its immunology, diagnostic criteria and prophylaxis. Q J Med 1992;84:641–658.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jones TD. Diagnosis of rheumatic fever. JAMA 1944;126:481–484.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dajani AS, Ayoub EM, Bierman FZ, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis of rheumatic fever: Jones criteria, updated 1992. JAMA 1992;268:2069–2073.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Vasan RS, Shrivastava S, Vijayakumar M, et al. Echocardiographic evaluation of patients with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic carditis. Circulation 1996;94:73–82.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dajani AS. Current status of nonsuppurative complications of Group A streptococci. Pediatr Infect Dis J 1991;10:S25–S27.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Albert DA, Harel L, Karrison T. The treatment of rheumatic carditis: a review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 1995;74:1–12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lewis BS, Geft IL, Milo S, Gotsman MS. Echocardiography and valve replacement in the critically ill patient with acute rheumatic carditis. Ann Thorac Surg 1979;27:529–535.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lue HC, Wu MH, Wang JK, et al. Long-term outcome of patients with rheumatic fever receiving benzathine penicillin G prophylaxis every three weeks versus every four weeks. J Pediatr 1994;125:812–816.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Hu MC, Walls MA, Stroop SD, et al. Immunogenicity of a 26-valent Group A Streptococcal vaccine. Infect Immun 2002;70:2171–2177.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Olson LJ, Subramanian R, Ackermann DM, et al. Surgical pathology of the mitral valve. A study of 712 cases spanning 21 years. Mayo Clin Proc 1987;62:22–34.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Leavitt JI, Coats MH, Falk RH. Effects of exercise on transmitral gradient and pulmonary artery pressure in patients with mitral stenosis or a prosthetic mitral valve. A Doppler echocardiographic study. J Am Coll Cardiol 1991;17:1520–1526.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ohmichi M, Tagaki S, Nomura N, et al. Endobronchial changes in chronic pulmonary venous hypertension. Chest 1988;94:1127–1132.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Barrington W W, Boudoulas J, Bashore T, et al. Mitral stenosis: Mitral dome excursion at M1 and the mitral opening snap3-the concept of reciprocal heart sounds. Am Heart J 1998;115:1280–1290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Klein HO, Sareli P, Schamroth CL, et al. Effects of atenolol on exercise capacity in patients with mitral stenosis with sinus rhythm. Am J Cardiol 1985;56:598–601.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Marcus RH, Sareli P, Pocock WA, Barlow JB. The spectrum of severe rheumatic mitral valve disease in a developing country: correlations among clinical presentations, surgical pathologic finding and haemodynamic sequelae. Ann Intern Med 1994;120:177–183.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Carabello BA, Crawford FA. Valvular heart disease. N Engl J Med 1997;337:32–41.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Rahimtoola SH. Valvular heart disease: a perspective. J Am Coll Cardiol 1983;1:199–215.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Passik CS, Ackermann DM, Pluth JR, Edwards WP. Temporal changes in the causes of aortic stenosis: a surgical pathologic study of 646 cases. Mayo Clin Proc 1987;62:119–123.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Zitnik RS, Piemme TE, Messer RJ, et al. The masking of aortic stenosis by mitral stenosis. Am Heart J 1965;69:22–30.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ross J Jr, Braunwald E. Aortic stenosis. Circulation 1968;38(Suppl V):V-61–V-67.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Scognamiglio R, Rahimtoola SH, Fasoli G, et al. Nifedipine in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic regurgitation and normal left ventricular function. N Engl J Med 1994;331:689–694.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Rahimtoola SH. Indications for surgery in aortic valve disease. In: Yusuf S, Cairns JA, Camm AJ, eds. Evidence Based Cardiology. BMJ Books, London, 1998, pp. 811–832.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Braunwald E. Valvular heart disease. In: Braunwald EB, ed. Heart Disease: a Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 5th ed. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1997, pp. 1007–1076.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Levinson GE. Aortic stenosis. In: Dalen JE, Alpert JS, eds. Valvular Heart Disease, 2nd ed. Little, Brown, Boston, 1987, pp. 202–203.

    Google Scholar 

Recommended Reading

  1. Bonow RO, Carabello B, de Leon AC Jr, et al. ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee on Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease). J Am Coll Cardiol 1998;32:1486–1588.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Carabello BA. Mitral valve disease: indications for surgery. In: Yusuf S, Cairns JA, Camm AJ, eds. Evidence Based Cardiology. BMJ Books, London, 2003, pp. 758–766.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dajani A, Taubert K, Ferrieri P, et al. Treatment of acute streptococcal pharyngitis and prevention of rheumatic fever: a statement for health professionals. Paediatrics 1995;96:758–764.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Otto CM, Burwask IG, Legget ME, et al. Prospective study of asymptomatic valvular aortic stenosis. clinical, echocardiographic, and exercise predictors of outcome. Circulation 1997;95:2262–2270.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Turi ZG. Balloon valvuloplasty: mitral valve. In: Yusuf S, Cairns JA, Camm AJ, eds. Evidence Based Cardiology. BMJ Books, London, 2003, pp. 796–808.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

    Edmund A. W. Brice MB ChB, PhD, FCP (SA) (Senior Lecturer, Cardiologist)

  2. Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

    Edmund A. W. Brice MB ChB, PhD, FCP (SA) (Senior Lecturer, Cardiologist)

  3. the Division of Cardiology, University of Cape Town, South Africa

    Patrick J. Commerford MB ChB, FCP (SA) (Professor and Head)

  4. New Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

    Patrick J. Commerford MB ChB, FCP (SA) (Professor and Head)

Authors
  1. Edmund A. W. Brice MB ChB, PhD, FCP (SA)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patrick J. Commerford MB ChB, FCP (SA)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medicine, Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY

    Clive Rosendorff MD, PhD, FRCP (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY

    Clive Rosendorff MD, PhD, FRCP (Professor) (Professor)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Brice, E.A.W., Commerford, P.J. (2005). Rheumatic Fever and Valvular Heart Disease. In: Rosendorff, C. (eds) Essential Cardiology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-918-9_30

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-918-9_30

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-370-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-918-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation