rheumatic fever

rheumatic fever   n.  An acute inflammatory disease occurring during recovery from infection with a strain of streptococcus bacteria, having an onset marked by fever and joint pain and frequently resulting in scarring of the heart valves.

rheumatic fever [(rooh-mat-ik)]

An infectious disease occurring most often in children who have had a previous infection with a strain of streptococcus. Rheumatic fever, which is characterized by fever and joint pain, can cause permanent damage to the heart if left untreated. Antibiotics, such as penicillin, are used in treating the disease.

Main Entry: rheumatic fever
Function: noun
: an acute often recurrent disease occurring chiefly in children and young adults and characterized by fever, inflammation,pain, and swelling in and around the joints, inflammatory involvement of the pericardium and valves of the heart, and often the formation of small nodules chiefly in the subcutaneous tissues and theheart

rheumatic fever n.
An acute inflammatory disease occurring during recovery from infection with group A streptococci, having an onset marked by fever and joint pain. It is associated with polyarthritis, Sydenham's chorea, and endocarditis, and is frequently followed by scarring of the heart valves.

rheumatic fever   (r-māt'ĭk)  Pronunciation Key  An acute inflammatory disease resulting from infections that are caused by a certain strain of bacteria of the genus Streptococcus, such as strep throat, usually in the absence of antibiotic treatment. It is marked by fever and inflammation of the joints, nerves, and heart, where it can progress to scarring and permanent dysfunction of the valves.