Posts Tagged ‘acute rheumatic fever’

The pericarditis  of acute rheumatic fever is not a true infective pericarditis.It is more of inflammation .It is primarily  T cell mediated  reaction . Neutrophils rarely take part  in this inflammation and hence  no significant  exudation . Hence , there is less  sticky and adhesive molecules inside the pericardial space .The most inflamed layer is epicardium which a nothing but visceral  pericardium .This layer lacks the tensile strength to constrict the underlying myocardium.

why rheumatic pericarditis does not go for constrictionFor constriction to occur the fibrinous  ( thick ) layer of pericardium need to be involved . In rheumatic fever  even though it is  pancarditis ,  fibrous layer is not  involved. Further the inflammatory gradient is thought to spread from within  (Unlike tuberculosis )

Note :  In chronic tuberculous pericarditis,  diffuse inflammatory process  invade from the exterior surface . Very often ,  one can not differentiate  layers. In extreme cases even myocardium and pericardium can not be separated .


The peri-cardial effusion of acute rheumatic fever

  1. Is transient ,non infective and resolving (Unlike valvular inflammation !)
  2. Less of neutrophil activation  (Less adhesion)
  3. It does not involve the thick , tensile  fibrous layer of pericardium hence lacks the contractile force .

Other lingering  questions

1.How common is tamponade  in acute rheumatic fever ?

2.How important is the mass of the effusion (Viz  a Viz  Intra pericardial pressure !) in causing tamponade ?


Read Full Post »

Is there a chronic indolent myocarditis ?
Assignment for cardiology fellows .
1.Where in the heart  Ascoff bodies  are densely found ?
  1. Mainly over the valve leaflets
  2. Atrial muscle
  3. Ventricular myocardium
  4. Pericardium
2.Does Ascoff  bodies disappear  in  Chronic RHD ?

Read Full Post »

Rheumatic valvulits , Valvular inflammation and edema  is the traditional answer .A detailed Echocardiographic study from All India Institute of medical sciences New Delhi  ,India  which was published in circulation 1996 answers this question most authentically .

From a meticulous  Echocardiographic  study of about 70 patients  (with both first and recurrent episodes of carditis ) the following findings were observed.

After reading this article one should be able to answer variety of  questions in RHD  such as

  • How common is MVPS in RHD ?
  • How often MR dissapear with Aspirin etc ?
  • Echocardiographic correlates  for care -coombs murmur ?



Read Full Post »




What are the unusual joint involvement in acute rheumatic fever  ?

  • Small joints of the feet
  • Small joints of the hands
  • Cervical spine
  • Wrist
  • Elbow
  • Shoulder
  • Hip
  • Thoracic  spine
  • Calcaneus
  • Lumbar spine

The involvement of above joint can be up  to 25%



Read Full Post »


Acute Rheumatic fever

The following mechanisms contribute to MR of acute rheumatic fever

  1. Edema of leaflets (Carey Coombs murmur )
  2. Valvulitis
  3. Small verrucous  vegetations (See Image )
  4. Acute LV dilatation in fulminant cardiac failure.


Chronic rheumatic  heart disease


  2. Chordal lengthening
  3. Chordal disruption (Minor > Major )
  5. Infective endocardits  of  leaflet
  6. Perforations of  leaflet
  7. Annular  dilatation
  9. Left atrial pathology



Rheumatic mitral valve prolapse

  • This could be  more common than we realise.
  • It can be true or pseudo.
  • True prolapse occur due to chordal weakening or lengthening .
  • In chordal disruption the leaflet tips usually become flail





Myocardial involvement in RHD.





Importance of knowing the mechanism of MR

Two aspects  appear important





2. Surgical implication



Questions  that need  answers

How is balloon/Surgery  related injury different from rheumatic process ?

Why is  rheumatic  mitral vale  prone for bacterial infection ?






There two popular books exclusively  for cardiac pathology


2. Renu Virmani

Read Full Post »