Methods
113 consecutive patients (mean age: 42.2 ± 14.9 years, 93 female, 20 male) who were referred to echocardiography laboratory with valvular heart disease were included in the study. Patients with connective tissue disease, antiphospholipid syndrome, acute rheumatic fever and bicuspid aorta were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups: Patients with definite chronic RVD disease according to past medical records, history and typical echocardiographic findings constitued the study group (n=50). Control group consisted of 63 patients with valvular heart disease who lacked a history of acute rheumatic fever and they had no typical echocardiographic images compatible with chronic RVD. Typical echocardiographic findings related to chronic RVD were as follows: Any Doppler detected valvular regurgitation and stenosis together with 2 morphologic criteria (Marked thickening of the leaflet margins, abnormal motion due to posterior leaflet tip restriction, prominent thickening of subvalvular apparatus for mitral valve and commissural thickening and presence of mitral valve involvement for aortic valve). Echocardiographic data were recorded and blood samples were drawn for white blood cell (WBC) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), antinuclear antibody (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anticardiolipin IgM, anticardiolipin IgG, extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) profile and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT).
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
