Erroneous diagnoses in children referred with acute rheumatic fever.
We reviewed 53 patients referred to a pediatric rheumatology clinic in Asuncion, Paraguay. In 6 patients, a diagnosis of rheumatic fever was confirmed and in 47 patients other clinically significant diagnoses were made. Eighteen children had nonspecific findings and did not develop a rheumatologic condition on follow-up. Overdiagnosis of rheumatic fever can falsely inflate incidence and prevalence statistics and clinically significant diagnoses may be overlooked.
Lopez-Benitez
Jorge M
JM
The Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts, New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA. jlopez@tufts-nemc.org
Miller
Laurie C
LC
Schaller
Jane G
JG
Moreno
Luis M
LM
de Canata
Miriam Espinola
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010239:Paraguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology