Differences in rheumatic fever in adults and children | Rheumatic fever

Differences in rheumatic fever in adults and children

The rheumatic fever occurs more frequently in children between the ages of 3 and 16. In adulthood a new occurrence is usually very rare. In adults, rheumatic fever manifests itself mainly in the joints.

In addition to inflammation, the affected joint is severely reddened and also causes severe pain. Often an asymptomatic course is also possible. As a rule, the symptoms disappear within a few months.

With a targeted therapy, the symptoms can improve after a few days or weeks. While rheumatic fever is typically characterized by a milder course in adults, more severe courses are also possible in children. This often involves the heart. Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart and the heart valves (endocarditis) is possible. There is a risk that the inflammation will lead to severe scarring of the tissue and impair the function of the heart valves.Without an adequate therapy, permanent damage and a severe impairment of the heart activity are possible.

Rheumatic fever after scarlet fever

Approximately 1 to 3% of scarlet fever patients develop rheumatic fever within a few weeks after scarlet infection. Especially children between the ages of 4 and 10 are affected. Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection with streptococci (group A), which manifests itself mainly in the mouth and throat area and on the skin.

In addition to severe sore throat with difficulty swallowing, there is severe redness in the mouth and throat area (“strawberry tongue“) and a fine spotted rash all over the body. Typically, the area around the mouth is spared by the rash and appears pale. Patients also have high fever and swelling of the lymph nodes of the throat.