[Echocardiography and Jones criteria in the diagnosis of rheumatic heart diseases: 138 cases reviewed at the Cardiology Institute of Abidjan].

The files of 138 patients suffering from rheumatic heart disease were studied in order to confirm the value of modified Jones' criteria and heart damage and to evaluate the contribution of echocardiography findings. Only files containing complete clinical and laboratory findings were studied. Of the 138 cases reviewed there were 51 cases of carditis (36.6 percent) and 87 cases of heart damage (63.4 percent). Carditis was associated with arthritis in 35.3 percent of cases. Antistreptolysin O levels were elevated in 74.5% percent of cases. Regarding Jones' criteria, the presence of a minor clinical criteria such as fever, polyarthritis, and history of acute rheumatic joint inflammation and laboratory findings such as elevated erythrosedimentation and antistreptolysin O rates were associated with carditis significantly more often than with heart damage. Echocardiography played a determinant role in the diagnosis between rheumatic heart disease in 35.3 percent of cases. Only echocardiography allowed differential diagnosis between rheumatic heart damage and other tropical cardiovascular diseases.