The murmur heard when a child has rheumatic heart disease is the result of:

The murmur heard when a child has rheumatic heart disease is the result of:

• A. Myocarditis
• B. Pericarditis
• C. Valvulitis
• D. Coronary artery involvement

Answer: (C)

Murmurs in rheumatic heart disease come from inflammation of the heart valves. After a streptococcal infection, rheumatic fever can cause immune-mediated inflammation of the valve leaflets (valvulitis), most often affecting the mitral valve. This valve dysfunction—either regurgitation or stenosis—disturbs normal blood flow and creates the characteristic heart murmur heard on exam. Myocarditis alone can cause heart failure symptoms but not a typical valvular murmur. Pericarditis produces a friction rub rather than a murmur from valve pathology. Coronary artery involvement isn’t the source of the murmur in this condition. Therefore, the murmur is due to valvulitis.

Murmurs in rheumatic heart disease come from inflammation of the heart valves. After a streptococcal infection, rheumatic fever can cause immune-mediated inflammation of the valve leaflets (valvulitis), most often affecting the mitral valve. This valve dysfunction—either regurgitation or stenosis—disturbs normal blood flow and creates the characteristic heart murmur heard on exam.

Myocarditis alone can cause heart failure symptoms but not a typical valvular murmur. Pericarditis produces a friction rub rather than a murmur from valve pathology. Coronary artery involvement isn’t the source of the murmur in this condition. Therefore, the murmur is due to valvulitis.