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Heart Valve Disease pp 163–175Cite as

Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease

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Abstract

Despite economic and medical advances, acute rheumatic fever and consequent rheumatic heart disease remain a major public health burden in low and middle-income countries, and a designated priority for the World Health Organisation. The clinical consequences are major and enduring, particularly for women of child-bearing age, and access to diagnosis, preventive therapy and transcatheter or surgical interventions remains a challenge. Herein, we provide a summary of key aspects of the condition, with particular focus on epidemiology, pathogenesis and immune mechanisms, diagnosis and clinical manifestations, contemporary management and preventive strategies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Paediatric Cardiology, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    G. Itzikowitz & L. Zühlke

  2. Cambridge University Clinical School, Cambridge, UK

    E. A. Prendergast

  3. Department of Cardiology, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK

    B. D. Prendergast

  4. Division of Cardiology, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    L. Zühlke

Authors
  1. G. Itzikowitz
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  2. E. A. Prendergast
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  3. B. D. Prendergast
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  4. L. Zühlke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. D. Prendergast .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

    Jose Zamorano

  2. Cardiology, University Hospital Sart Tilman Cardiology, Liège, Belgium

    Patrizio Lancellotti

  3. University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    Luc Pierard

  4. Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Quebec Heart & Lung Institute, QC, Canada

    Philippe Pibarot

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Itzikowitz, G., Prendergast, E.A., Prendergast, B.D., Zühlke, L. (2020). Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease. In: Zamorano, J., Lancellotti, P., Pierard, L., Pibarot, P. (eds) Heart Valve Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23104-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23104-0_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-23103-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-23104-0

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