An 8-year single-centre experience of patients with subclinical rheumatic carditis

Transthoracic echocardiography is the gold standard method for screening and confirmation of acute rheumatic fever and subclinical rheumatic heart disease. Secondary antibiotic prophylaxis that is regularly employed in subclinical rheumatic heart disease may help to reverse mild rheumatic carditis lesions, delay the progression of the disease, reduce morbidity and mortality, and improve patients' quality of life.

We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of 180 patients with subclinical rheumatic heart disease who were followed up for a mean of 4.92 ± 2.0 (3.5-6.5) years.

Between 1 March 2015 and 31 December 2023, 180 patients diagnosed with subclinical rheumatic heart disease with a mean follow-up of 4.92 ± 2.0 (3.5-6.5) years were included in the study. Of the patients, 50.6% were male, 49.4% were female, mean age at diagnosis was 11.74 ± 3.18 (9.68-13.65) years, and mean follow-up period was 4.92 ± 2.0 (3.5-6.5) years. Further, 87.2 % of the patients had mitral valve regurgitation, 38.3% had aortic valve regurgitation, and 27.2% had both valve (aortic and mitral valve) regurgitation. Moreover, Sydenham chorea was also diagnosed in 7.8% the patients. Of the patients, 90% had mild rheumatic heart disease, 7.8% had moderate rheumatic heart disease, and 2.2% had severe rheumatic heart disease. After the diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease, 76.7% patients received regular and 23.3% irregular secondary benzathine penicillin G prophylaxis.

We believe that echocardiography demonstrates its efficacy and safety profile in reducing the risk of rheumatic heart disease in patients diagnosed with subclinical rheumatic carditis and complying with regular secondary antibiotic prophylaxis.