Abstract

Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and prognostic parameters of 250 children diagnosed as acute rheumatic fever between the years of 1990-1995 were evaluated retrospectively. Among 250 patients, the incidence of carditis, arthritis, chorea, arthritis+ carditis and erythema marginatum+ arthritis were 69.2 %,3.2%,4.8% and 1.2% respectively. No Sex difference was found among patients with arthritis and carditis but female predominance was evident among chorea cases. Cardiac murmur was obtained in 67.6 % of the cases by cardiac osculta- tion. In 64.4 % of the cases, cardiomegaly and in 51.6 % pathological electrocardiography findings were observed. In 74 %, echocardiographic evaluations showed positive correlation with carditis. Mitral insufficiency (77.8%) was the most common cardiac involvement. The reactivation rate was 9.6 %. During lto5 years of follow up.