A Case of Rheumatic Heart Disease Complicated by Acute Infective Endocarditis and Valve Leaflet Perforation

Abstract

Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), abbreviated as rheumatic heart disease, is a heart disease caused by repeated attacks or further deterioration of Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF), which is mostly caused by valve damage (Zhang P & Wang P., 2021). The production of ARF is the result of a series of autoimmune reactions by group A streptococci that invade the pharynx of a susceptible host. Clinically, rheumatic heart disease mostly involves valves, which can cause patients to have a variety of manifestations such as incomplete valve closure or stenosis, structural remodeling of the heart, etc. If patients do not seek medical attention in time to delay the best time for treatment, they often develop acute heart failure, malignant arrhythmias and other acute complications of the cardiovascular system in the later stages of the disease. Clinically, rheumatic heart disease complicated by infective endocarditis is not common, and valve leaflet perforation due to severe infection is even rarer! A case of acute infective endocarditis complicated by atypical rheumatic heart disease and simultaneous valve leaflet perforation in our hospital is reviewed and reported below.