Address: Innova Children's Heart Hospital, White House, Tarnaka - Moulaali Road, Hyderabad Tel. +91-40-27007272

Follow us on Facebook

Rheumatic Heart Diseases

In children, after Congenital Heart Disease, second most leading causes of heart disease is rheumatic heart disease. Even though, incidence of rheumatic heart disease has markedly reduced in developing countries, Worldwide, it remains a major health problem in developing countries. Chronic rheumatic heart disease is estimated to occur among 5-30 million children and young adults and about 90 thousand individuals die each year.

Rheumatic fever develops following pharyngitis with group A beta hemolytic streptococcus. They develop joint pains, heart infection, neurological and skin involvements. About 40% of patients with acute rheumatic fever may develop varying degrees of heart disease. With chronic Rheumatic Heart Disease, patients develop valvular stenosis regurgitation, arrhythmias and heart failure. It licks the joints and bites the heart. Diagnosis can be made by blood tests like ESR, C reactive protein, ASO titre and anti-DNAse B. Echocardiogram is the main stay for diagnosis valvular heart disease.

Acute rheumatic fever is treated with penicillin, ampicilin, amoxicillin etc. Acute rheumatic cardiatis is treated with Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) and Steroids. Long acting penicillin or oral penicillin are used for rheumatic prophylaxis which need to be taken for 40-45 years of age to prevent progress of Rheumatic Valvular Heart Disease. Valvular Heart Disease is treated medically with decongestive therapy and surgically by valve replacement or repair. Stenotic valves can be dilated non surgically by balloon dilatation.

Idiopathic Heart Disease

In this spectrum, the exact cause of heart disease is not known and hence treatment options are very limited and symptomatic oriented. They include dilated cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy and post viral cardiomyopathy etc. These children present with congestive heart failure requiring decongestive therapy and sometimes inotropic support. End stage disease requires heart transplantation.

Primary pulmonary arterial hypertension children are managed with pulmonary vaso dilators. They present with right heart failure. Severe form of disease requires Lung or Heart and Lung transplant.