title: [Acute rheumatic fever among children in the Republic of Congo: report of 56 cases].
abstract: Authors report the results of a retrospective study (January 1993-December 1996) concerning 56 patients. The aim of this study was to describe epidemiology, diagnosis, evolution and treatment of rheumatic fever during childhood in the Teaching Hospital of Brazzaville. The frequency of the disease was 1.17%. There were 36 girls and 20 boys (p = 0.02). The mean age was 10 years and 8 months. Past of sore throat and recurrences of acute rheumatic fever have been notified respectively in 27 (48.2%) and 11 cases (19.6%). Arthritis were observed in 3 patients (5.4%), and 7 others (12.5%) didn't have any carditis. Fourty nine patients (87.5%) presented carditis, among which mitral regurgitation was the commonest cardiac lesion. Heart failure was observed in 25 patients (44.6%). The inflammatory process was treated by corticoid drugs and penicillin. Surgery realized in 22 patients consisted in valvuloplasty (5), bioprosthesis replacing (12). Beyond mitral valve replacing, 3 children profited of: tricuspid commissurotmy (1), surgery of congenital heart disease (2). Two patients profited of aortic prothesis. Six patients(10.7%) died because of: cardiac failure(3), infectious endocarditis (2), probable thrombosis of mechanic aortic valve (1). Primary and secondary prevention of this severe affection are primordial in Congo.
authors.affiliation: Sevice de Cardiologie et de Médecine Interne, CHU de Brazzaville, Congo.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kimbally-Kaky
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Makoumbou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nzingoula
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy