Acute Rheumatic Heart Disease

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a disease which results from an abnormal immune response to infection with beta-hemolytic Streptococcus pyogenes, group A. The illness is characterized by varying degrees of inflammation of the joints and the heart, typically manifesting as polyarthritis and valvular regurgitation. Less commonly, involvement of the basal ganglia during the immunological process results in chorea. In this chapter, we will review the etiology, presentation, prevention, and management of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.