Prevalence of rheumatic fever in school children aged 6-12 years old in Fayoum Governorate

ABSTRACT

To study the prevalence of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease [RHD], this cross sectional study was carried out on school children aged 6-12 years old during 1999 in Fayoum Governorate as a sample of Upper Egypt governorates. The results have shown that the prevalence of rheumatic fever was 1.8/1000 and the prevalence of RHD was 1/1000. Isolated rheumatic arthritis was diagnosed in three cases out of nine rheumatic fever patients and rheumatic chorea was diagnosed in one case only. There were no recorded cases of erythema marginatum or subcutaneous nodules