Rheumatic Heart Disease

Question 1

What is rheumatic heart disease? What causes it?

Answer 1

inflammation of heart valves, myocardium, pericardium that develops because of rheumatic fever

Question 2

Explain how rheumatic heart disease comes about…

Answer 2

• infection, normally pharyngeal strep throat
• immune response
• autoimmunity = antibodies and T-cells against the microbe also target self-antigens in heart, joints, CNS, integument (molecular mimicry)
• acute, multi-system inflammation
• inflammation of heart valves, myocardium, pericardium
• usually self-limiting
• if not treated, heart, especially valves, can be damaged permanently

Question 3

How is rheumatic heart disease treated?

Answer 3

• long term use of antibiotics to prevent recurrence of rheumatic fever, prevent development of endocarditis
• anti-inflammatory medications
• decrease cardiac workload (bed rest)
• symptomatic management
• avoid complications (heart failure)

Question 4

What group most commonly gets rheumatic fever?

Answer 4

5-15 year old kids