rheumatic fever

rheumatic fever
a serious disease, associated with streptococcal infections, usually affecting children, characterized by fever, swelling and pain in the joints, sore throat, and cardiac involvement.
[1775-85]

* * *

Generalized disease caused by certain types of streptococcus bacteria.

It occurs mostly in children and young adults. Symptoms may be mild or severe. Sudden fever, joint pain, and inflammation may begin days to weeks after a streptococcal infection, usually of the throat (see pharyngitis). Other symptoms may include skin nodules and rashes, chorea, abdominal pain, nosebleeds, and weight loss. Heart inflammation, with accompanying rapid heartbeat, murmurs, and enlargement, can lead to valve scarring, markedly shortening life. After recovery, survivors are prone to future attacks. Penicillin given when the initial infection is diagnosed can prevent it. Otherwise, salicylic acid derivatives or corticosteroids help the symptoms.

* * *

      inflammatory disease of the heart, joints, central nervous system, and subcutaneous tissues that develops after a throat infection with group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus bacteria, including untreated scarlet fever or strep throat. Prevention is possible with penicillin, but specific treatment is not available. Rheumatic fever is particularly important because of the heart disease, which includes vascular damage, that may ensue. The illness occurs chiefly in children (childhood disease and disorder) and young adults, with a peak incidence between ages 5 and 15.

      When a streptococcal throat infection goes untreated, most patients recover without complications. Approximately 1 percent, however, develop rheumatic fever. The onset of the disease is most often characterized by the sudden occurrence of fever and joint pain and inflammation several days to six weeks after the streptococcal infection. Signs of cardiac involvement include heart murmurs, increased heartbeat rate, and heart enlargement. Inflammation of the heart muscle and supporting structures may lead to a permanent scarring and contracture of the heart valves and a marked decrease in life expectancy. Other symptoms of rheumatic fever include nodules beneath the skin and skin rashes, the most typical of which is erythema marginatum; Sydenham chorea, a nervous system manifestation marked by emotional instability and purposeless, involuntary movements of the arms and legs; abdominal pain; nosebleeds; weakness; and loss of appetite and body weight. Generally the clinical symptoms, severity, and aftereffects of an attack of rheumatic fever are highly variable, ranging from a condition so mild as to go unnoticed to a severe acute attack associated with cardiac failure and death.

      During the course of rheumatic fever, the streptococcal organism may no longer be demonstrable in cultures of the throat or other infected body areas, but blood titres of antibodies (antibody) against the streptococcus, such as antistreptolysin O, are high. All the numerous types of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus appear capable of inducing rheumatic fever in susceptible individuals; infection with one type confers no immunity against the others, and individuals who have experienced one attack of rheumatic fever are especially prone to subsequent attacks. Both the initial and recurrent attacks can be effectively prevented with penicillin. Symptomatic treatment of the condition includes the use of salicylates such as aspirin or one of the steroid hormones. Surgery may be advocated to relieve the narrowing of the openings of the heart valves. Rheumatic fever patients must receive antibiotics on a regular basis for the remainder of their lives because their damaged heart valves predispose them to the development of bacterial endocarditis.

      The exact cause of rheumatic fever is not clear, although most authorities favour the theory that the disease results from an autoimmune (autoimmunity) reaction, involving the production of antibodies that attack the body's own tissues. The autoimmune reaction is believed to be triggered by components of the streptococci ( antigens) whose structure resembles that of molecules found in human tissue (“self antigens”). Because of this resemblance, the antibodies that recognize streptococcal antigens may mistakenly react with similarly shaped antigens of certain cells of the body—such as those of the heart. By binding to these self antigens, the antibodies cause the tissue damage characteristic of rheumatic fever.

      Since the mid-20th century the incidence and severity of rheumatic fever and other streptococcal infections, such as scarlet fever, have declined precipitously in the developed countries. This decline has occurred independently of the use of penicillin and other drugs and may simply signal the gradual dying out of the disease. However, in many other parts of the world rheumatic fever remains a serious and prevalent disease.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rheumatic fever — Classification and external resources Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, Pappenheim s stain ICD 10 I …   Wikipedia

  • rheumatic fever — n an acute often recurrent disease occurring chiefly in children and young adults and characterized by fever, inflammation, pain, and swelling in and around the joints, inflammatory involvement of the pericardium and valves of the heart, and… …   Medical dictionary

  • rheumatic fever — ► NOUN ▪ an acute fever marked by inflammation and pain in the joints, caused by a streptococcal infection …   English terms dictionary

  • rheumatic fever — n. an acute or chronic inflammatory disease usually induced by a preceding infection with certain hemolytic streptococci, characterized variously by fever, pain and swelling of the joints, inflammation of the heart, etc., and typically occurring… …   English World dictionary

  • rheumatic fever — noun a severe disease chiefly of children and characterized by painful inflammation of the joints and frequently damage to the heart valves (Freq. 1) • Hypernyms: ↑infectious disease • Part Meronyms: ↑rheumatic aortitis * * * noun [noncount]… …   Useful english dictionary

  • rheumatic fever — acute rheumatism a disease affecting mainly children and young adults that arises as a delayed complication of infection of the upper respiratory tract with haemolytic streptococci (see Streptococcus). The main features are fever, arthritis… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • rheumatic fever — (roo mat ik) An autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory lesions involving the heart valves, joints, subcutaneous tissues, and central nervous system. The disease is associated with hemolytic streptococci in the body. It is called… …   Dictionary of microbiology

  • rheumatic fever — N UNCOUNT Rheumatic fever is a disease which causes fever, and swelling and pain in your joints …   English dictionary

  • rheumatic fever — Synonyms and related words: African lethargy, Asiatic cholera, Chagres fever, German measles, Haverhill fever, acute articular rheumatism, ague, alkali disease, amebiasis, amebic dysentery, anthrax, bacillary dysentery, bastard measles, black… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • rheumatic fever — rheu.matic fever n [U] a serious infectious disease that causes fever, swelling in your joints, and sometimes damage to your heart …   Dictionary of contemporary English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”