INFLAMMATORY VALVULAR PROLAPSE PRODUCED BY ACUTE RHEUMATIC CARDITIS -ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF 66 CASES OF ACUTE RHEUMATIC CARDITIS

Sixty-six cases of rheumatic fever (RF) associated with acute rheumati c carditis (ARC) diagnosed on the basis of the revised Jones criteria (1982) were studied retrospectively (Group I) and prospectively (Group II). Echocardiography in Group I revealed anterior mitral valve prola pse (AMVP) in 28/55 cases (51%), posterior mitral valve prolapse (PMVP ) in four (7%), combined anterior and posterior mitral valve prolapse (BMVP) in five (9%), aortic valve prolapse (AVP) in eight (15%), and i n Group II, AMVP in nine (82%), BMVP in one (9%), AVP in six (55%). Am ong the prolapsed valves 40% of the mitral valves in Group I and 64% i n Group II were redundant with irregular focal thickenings. In the fol low-up examination. three cases without AMVP in the early stage of ARC developed AMVP later; on the other hand, AMVP was found in the early stage and disappeared later in another three. These findings suggest t hat overall, ARC is an important etiology of MVP and AVP in China. Cop yright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.