title: [A retrospective investigation of clinical and laboratory findings in children with acute rheumatic fever, reactivation and compliance with prophylaxis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to retrospectively investigate the patients with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) by evaluating their clinic and laboratory properties, echocardiographic findings as well as the reactivation and the compliance to penicillin prophylaxis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 255 patients (143 boys, 112 girls; mean age 10.1±2.7 years) with ARF. Their sex, age, clinic and laboratory properties, echocardiographic findings, the reactivation and the compliance to penicillin prophylaxis were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients spent 13.3±4.3 days in the hospital, and 94 had a history of ARF. Arthritis was found in 233 patients, carditis in 166, Sydenham's chorea in 14, subcutaneous nodule in 2, and arthritis-carditis in 151 patients. Erythema marjinatum was not found in any patient. Arthralgia (n=15) and fever (n=246) were found in patients. Throat culture was positive in 94 patients and anti-streptolysin-O titers were high in 124 patients. Mitral involvement was found in 205 patients while the combination of mitral and aortic valve involvement were observed in 118 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ARF still continues to be a major public health problem in our country. A bad prognosis may be prevented by early diagnosis and treatment. The importance of appropriate prophylaxis should also be emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health and Disease, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey. ayfergozu@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ayfer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gözü Pirinççioğlu
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alyan
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanğın
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taşkesen
authors.forename: Mücahit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fidan
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mermutoğlu
authors.forename: Velat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Taş
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012213:Rheumatic Fever