The Clinical Response of Rheumatic Fever and Acute Carditis to ACTH

Abstract

ResultsNearly all the important manifestations of rheumatic fever are represented by the 10 patients whose case reports have been summarized. At the time ACTH therapy was begun, 8 patients had definite fever, 7 had symptoms or signs — or both — referable to the joints, 3 had subcutaneous nodules, 1 had chorea, 9 had signs of valvular involvement, 4 had pericarditis, 4 were in congestive failure, and all but 1 had elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. It is also evident from the case reports that the majority of the patients suffered from severe rheumatic fever and a high . . .