Spectrum of valvular lesions in newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most common acquired heart disease among young adults and an important health problem in developing countries. There is much scarcity of information about echocardiographic evaluation of valvular involvement of RHD in Bangladesh. Objective of this study was to analyze the clinical spectrum and pattern of cardiac valvular lesions in newly diagnosed RHD patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2019 to May 2021 in National Center for Control of Rheumatic Fever and Heart Diseases (NCCRF and HD), Dhaka, Bangladesh. Newly diagnosed 160 RHD patients irrespective of age and sex were enrolled. Medical history was obtained, physical examination was carried out, several investigations were done and standard color Doppler echocardiography was performed. Diagnosis of RHD was made following 2012 World Heart Federation criteria. Results: More than 60% of newly diagnosed patients of RHD were female; mean age of patients was 24.29±9.17 years and 77.5% of patients were between 15-34 years of age. Detected valvular lesions were mostly isolated (65%) and mitral valve involvement was 88.7%. Isolated mitral regurgitation was detected among 56.3% patients and was higher in female. Combination of mitral regurgitation and mitral stenosis were reported in 12.5% cases whereas mitral regurgitation with aortic regurgitation was present in 10.6% cases. Overall, 14 (6.4%) of the newly diagnosed patients were detected with severe forms of cardiac valvular lesion. Conclusions: RHD were common in young adults. Mitral valve was predominantly involved, particularly presenting as isolated mitral regurgitation.