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rheumatic fever
a disease caused by hemolytic streptococci in the body; it gets its name from the common symptoms of fever and joint pain that are similar to what is seen with rheumatism. It particularly affects children, and less often young adults. Symptoms vary widely in type and severity. The most common
initial symptoms are slight fever, tiredness, pain in the limbs, and nosebleeds. In an acute attack, the fever may reach 40°C (104°F) and continue for weeks; some patients have only mild fever. Joint pain
may develop at any stage, with swelling and tenderness; this may subside in one place, only to arise somewhere else. Some
patients have the spasmodic twitching of Sydenham chorea, and there may be a rash with nodules under the skin at the elbow, knee, wrist, or spinal column. The most serious effect
of rheumatic fever is the permanent damage it can do to the heart, usually consisting of endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart); see also rheumatic heart disease.
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