[Rheumatic cardiopathy in childhood. Epidemiological aspects, and differential diagnostic problems as compared with congenital bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse].

A decrease in severity of rheumatic fever, in the number of recurrences of the disease, a relative decrease in prevalence of rheumatic heart disease compared to other forms of heart disease are well documented or suggested by the data collected in the last decades. The reasons of the decline are uncertain. Prevalence surveys in more recent years indicate that, while at one time almost all valvular heart disease was considered to be rheumatic in origin, current data suggest that a significant proportion of damaged valves may be attributed to congenital defects or to acquired disease of other etiologies. Bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse deserve special mention. The main clinical and echocardiographic features of bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse are discussed.