Question

A new patient in your office reports a history of rheumatic heart disease at a very early age on her health questionnaire. The patient explains that her physician at the time thought that the rheumatic heart disease was a result of a streptococcal skin infection that she developed a few months prior to the discovery of the heart disease, but the physician did not explain any of the details of these conditions to her. Explain how an infection of the skin could result in damage to the heart tissue.

Answer 1

ANSWER.

Heart tissue damage due to streptococci skin infection.

* Group A beta hemolytic streptococci is a gram positive bacteria

   which enter into the body through wounds or breaks in the skin.

* After enter into the skin it causes skin infections and sore throat

or pharyngitis.

* If the patient do not take proper treatment for streptococcus related

   pharyngitis which result in spread or invasion of infection into the valves

of heart.

* Streptococcal infection in the valves of heart leads to inflammation and scarring

of valves.

* Valves become fail to open and close normally (mitral stenosis) and weakening of

   myocardium will occur.

* All of the above pathological changes leads to heart tissue damage and heart failure.