Video narration
An 18-year-old male patient presents with palpitations, chest pain, breathlessness and joint pain. Palpitations mean an abnormal awareness of the heartbeat. The patient may feel that his heart is beating rapidly or irregularly. Chest pain and breathlessness may indicate cardiac involvement, while joint pain suggests an inflammatory process. When these symptoms occur in a young patient, particularly with a history of sore throat or fever, we should suspect acute rheumatic fever with possible cardiac involvement. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that may develop after a Group A Streptococcal throat infection. It can affect the joints, heart, skin and nervous system. Repeated or severe cardiac involvement may lead to rheumatic heart disease, particularly affecting the mitral valve.