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Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease which may develop after an infection with streptococcus bacteria (such as strep throat or scarlet fever) and can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. 1 Causes
Rheumatic fever is common worldwide and is responsible for many cases of damaged heart valves. While it is far less common in the United States since the beginning of the 20th century, there have been a few outbreaks since the 1980s.
Rheumatic fever primarily affects children between ages six and 15 and occurs approximately 20 days after strep throat or scarlet fever. In up to a third of cases, the underlying strep infection may not have caused any symptoms.
The rate of development of rheumatic fever in individuals with untreated strep infection is estimated to be 3 percent. Persons who have suffered a case of rheumatic fever have a tendency to develop flare-ups with repeated strep infections.
2 Symptoms
- Fever
- Joint pain, migratory arthritis -- involving primarily kneeHuman anatomy In human anatomy, the knee joint is a complex, compound, condyloid variety of a synovial joint. It actually comprises two separate joints. The femoro-patellar joint consists of the patella, or "kneecap", a so-called "sesamoid bone" which sits, elbows, ankleIn anatomy, the ankle is the part of the lower limb that is located between the foot and the leg. It comprises two joints: the talocrural joint connecting the distal ends of the tibia and fibula with the proximal end of the talus, and the subtalar joint cs, and wristIn human anatomy, the wrist is the flexible and narrower connection between the forearm and the hand. The wrist-joint Articulatio Radiocarpea is a condyloid articulation. The parts forming it are the lower end of the radius and under surface of the articus
- Joint swelling; redness or warmth
- AbdominalThe abdomen (from the Latin word meaning "belly") is the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax. The front of the abdomen is the abdominal cavity, which is separated from the thoracic cavity by the diaphragm. The lining of the abdomen is calle pain
- Skin rash ( erythema marginatum )
- Skin eruption on the trunk and upper part of arms or legs
- Eruptions that are ring-shaped or snake-like in appearance
- Skin nodule s
- Sydenham's chorea -- emotional instability, muscular weakness and rapid, uncoordinated jerky movements affecting primarily the face, feet and hands
- Epistaxis (nosebleeds)
- Cardiac (heart) involvement which may be asymptomatic or may result in shortness of breath, chest pain
3 Signs
Given the different manifestations of this disease, there is no specific test which can definitively establish a diagnosis. In addition to a careful physical examination of heart sounds, skin, and joints, blood samples may be taken as part of the evaluation. These include tests for recurrent strep infection, complete blood counts, and sedimentation rate. As part of the cardiac evaluation, an electrocardiogramECG may also refer to the East Coast Greenway''. An Electrocardiogram ECG or EKG abbreviated from the German Elektrokardiogramm is a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical voltage in the heart in the form of a continuous s may also be done.
In order to standardize the diagnosis of rheumatic fever, several minor and major criteria have been developed. These criteria, in conjunction with evidence of recent streptococcal infection, establish a diagnosis of rheumatic fever.
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