From the Research
Joint Manifestations of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD)
The joint manifestations of RHD are associated with acute rheumatic fever (ARF), a multisystem inflammatory disease. The key points related to joint manifestations are:
- ARF is characterized by manifestations of joints, skin, and central nervous system involvement 1
- The disease is caused by an autoimmune response to group A streptococcal infections, usually during childhood and adolescence 2, 1, 3
- Joint involvement is one of the major criteria for the diagnosis of ARF, along with carditis, chorea, erythema marginatum, and subcutaneous nodules 1
Related Conditions and Complications
Other conditions related to RHD and joint manifestations include:
- Rheumatic diseases, which have a complicated cause and are likely to contribute to other environmental and host risk factors 4
- Chronic inflammation, which is associated with the occurrence of cardiac events in people both with and without chronic inflammatory joint disease 4
- Atherosclerosis, which is promoted by chronic systemic inflammation in patients with inflammatory rheumatic conditions 4
Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis and treatment of RHD and related joint manifestations involve:
- Echocardiographic screening, which is far superior to auscultation at detecting RHD 5
- Penicillin prophylaxis, which is used to prevent subsequent ARF episodes and is a key component of RHD prevention 2, 1, 5
- Early identification and treatment of streptococcal infections, which can help prevent the development of ARF and RHD 2, 1, 3