الفهرس 
Rheumatic FeverOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Kotby AA, Youssef OI, Salem LA
BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) follows rheumatic fever as a non-suppuraitve manifestation of group A β haemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. Our aim was to study regional myocardial deformation in RHD patients using 2D strain and its relation to high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) as a marker of chronic inflammation.
METHODS: We enrolled sixty patients: 40 patients with known RHD, 20 patients with history of rheumatic arthritis or chorea with no cardiac involvement. Studied groups were compared to 40 aged and sex matched children as control group. Left ventricular function was evaluated with conventional echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE). Hs-CRP was measured by ELISA in all studied groups.
RESULTS: A statistically significant increase was found in hs-CRP serum level and M-mode data in all patients with RHD except in patients with trivial mitral regurge when compared to control. A statistically significant decrease was found in 2DSTE data in all patients with RHD when compared to control.
CONCLUSION: Hs-CRP rises with echocardiographic indices of volume overload and the severity of valve lesion. Deformation imaging can detect minimal degrees of myocardial injury in chronic RHD which might be results of low grade ongoing inflammation which is confirmed by the elevated serum level of hs-CRP.