Occurrence of rheumatic carditis in the native population of Curacao, Netherlands West Indies

Among 3,391 admissions for internal diseases at Curacao, Netherlands West Indies, over a period of five years, there were 61 for acute rheumatic fever. Three cases were complicated by chorea minor. Scarlet fever was not observed. Among 1,307 autopsies on native of Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire there were 20 which disclosed typical gross lesions or sequelae of rheumatic carditis. In 12 of these histologic examination was possible, and in 11 typical Aschoff bodies were found. The supposition is advanced that rheumatic carditis is more frequent in the tropics than is commonly believed but that the true incidence can be determined only by collecting reliable data, based especially on autopsies with histologic examinations. (summary)