ABSTRACT

Rheumatic fever is a serious complication of group A streptococcal infections in childhood. The patients rarely present different clinical presentation. We present a patient with cardiac tamponade due to Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF).

Case: A 12 years old male patient complained about chest and back pain, shortness of breath, palpitation. After the examination, echocardiogram was performed and pericardial tamponade, moderate aort insufficiency was diagnosed and periocardiosyntesis was performed at the same time. The fluid was examined. Antibiotherapy and anti-inflammatory treatment was initiated. On the third day of treatment, control echocardiogram was performed and no pericardial effusion was detected. Besides in addition to moderate aort insufficiency, moderate- severe mitral insufficiency was observed. The diagnosis of ARF established by Jones criteria when the patient fulfilled one major and two minor criteria.

Keywords: pericarditis, ARF, tamponade