Cardiovascular Diseases: High Yield Concepts in Rheumatic Fever

Question 1

Other name for Strep. pyogenes

Answer 1

Group A Beta-Hemolytic Strep (GABHS)

Question 2

Signs and symptoms of Rheumatic Fever

Answer 2

Polyarthritis, Carditis, Subcutaneous Nodules, Erythema, Marginatum, Sydenham Chorea

Question 3

Most common initial presentation of Rheumatic Fever

Answer 3

Polyarthritis

Question 4

Most specific presentation of Rheumatic Fever

Answer 4

Sydenham Chorea

Question 5

Most serious presentation of Rheumatic Fever

Answer 5

Carditis

Question 6

Manifestation of carditis in Rheumatic Fever

Answer 6

Pericardial Friction Rub, Weak Heart Sounds, Tachycardia, Arrythmias, Mitral Regurgitation

Question 7

Pathologic lesion in Rheumatic Heart Disease

Answer 7

Anitschkow Cells/Caterpillar Cells (Macrophages containing abundant cytoplasm and round nuclei with slender, wavy ribbon of chromatin)
May coalesce to form Aschoff Giant Cells that together with T Cells and Plasma Cells from Aschoff Bodies

Question 8

Other pathologic findings in Rheumatic Heart Disease

Answer 8

Fibrinoid Pericarditis (bread-and-butter pericarditis)
MaCallum Plaques: irregular thickening of the subendocardium
Fish-mouth/Buttonhole stenosis
Mitral stenosis