Rheumatic fever: epidemiological study from Iraq

ABSTRACT

Rheumatic fever and rheumatic valvular diseases are considered major health problems in the developing communities. Accordingly, this study was attempted in order to assess the behavior of the various clinical manifestations of acute rheumatic fever [i.e., polyarthritis, carditis, Sydenham's chorea, subcutaneous nodules and erythema marginatum] with regard with age, gender and weather in our region. The study involved 110 patients proved to have acute rheumatic fever according to modified Jones criteria. The patients were studied according to gender, age groups [below and above 15 years], and according to cold and hot weather. Females were affected more frequently than males [68 vs. 42; 1.61]. The mean age was 15.9 +/- 4.5 years. Ages ranged from 8-35 years. Polyarthritis dominated clinical presentation; it constitutes 74.55% [P<0.001] in all aspects of the study, followed by Sydenham's chorea [16.36%], and then carditis [9.09%]. Subcutaneous nodules and erythema marginatum were not encountered. Acute rheumatic fever is still a major health problem in our area. Polyarthritis predominates followed by Sydenham's chorea, and then carditis. Age and weather had no effect on the disease parameters studied, but female gender significantly predominated over male gender