Salim Soyinka LO's Flashcards
What is rheumatic fever (ARF)?
Delayed inflammatory complication of group A beta streptococcal pharyngitis that usually occur within 2-4 weeks of acute infection
What is the epidemiology of Acute rheumatic fever?
- Peak incidence 5-15 years
- more prevalent in resources limited countries
What are the causes (aetiology) of rheumatic fever?
- Previous infection with group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) also referred to as streptococcus pyogenes
- usually acute tonsilitis or pharyngitis (strep throat)
Clinical feature of ARF
- Fever
- malaise
- fatigue
- migratory polyarthritis
- Pancarditis (endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis)
- Valvular
- Sydenham chorea
- Subcutaneous nodules
- Erythema marginatum
Pancarditis
- rare condition with a poor prognosis combining endocarditis, myocarditis with abscess formation and purulent pericarditis
Endocarditis
- rare and potentially fatal inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves and is usually caused by bacteria
Myocarditis
- Inflammation of heart muscle
Pericarditis
- inflammation of the pericardium/ thin sac that surrounds the heart
High pressure valves
- aortic
- mitral
Mitral valve and ARF
- 65 % of cases
- early mitral regurgitation
- late mitral stenosis
Most common cause of mitral stenosis
Rheumatic fever
Aortic valve and arf
- 25 % of cases
Tricuspid valve and ARF
- 10% of cases
Sydenham chorea
- involuntary, irregular, nonrepetitive movements of the limbs, neck, head and/or face
Clinical features sydenham chorea
- 1-8 months after infection
- sometimes asymmetrical or confined to one side
- speech disorders
- ballismus
- muscle weakness
- neuropsychiatric symptoms ( inappropriate laughing/crying, agitation, anxiety, apathy, OCD behaviour)
Ballismus
- severe movement disorder
Pathophysiology of sydenham chorea
- streptococcal antigens lead to Ab production–> Abs cross-react with structures of the basal ganglia and cortical structures –> reversible dysfunction of cortical and striatal circuits
Erythema marginatum
- expanding pink or light rash with a well defined outer border and central clearing
JONES criteria for diagnosis rheumatic fever
- Joints
- Pancarditis
- Nodules
- Erythema marginatum
- Sydenham chorea
Pathophysiology ARF
- Exact pathogenesis not entirely understood but most common
- Acute tonsilitis/ pharyngitis caused by GAS without antibiotic treatment –> development of antibodies against streptococcal M protein–> cross reaction of antibodies with nerve and myocardial proteins (most commonly myosins) due to molecular mimicry–> type II hypersensitivity reaction –> acute inflammatory sequela
Molecular mimicry
- similarities between foreign and self-peptides favor an activation of autoreactive T or B cells by a foreign derived antigen in a susceptible individual
Pathology of ARF
- Aschoff bodies
- Anitschkow cells
Aschoff bodies
- nodules found in the hearts of individuals with rheumatic fever
Anitschkow cells
- cardiac histiocytes appearing in Aschoff bodies
- ovoid nucleus containing wavy, caterpillar like bar of chromatin