The clinical manifestations of acute rheumatic fever were evaluated in a study of 6 adult patients over the age of 25 years, at the internal medicine department of Seoul Red Cross Hospital in Seoul, Korea, during the 5 years, from 1972 to 1976. 1. Polyarthritis occurred in 4 of 6 patients. Classical migratory Polyarthritis occurred in 3 patients. None had chorea or erythema marginatum, but subcutaneous nodules occured in 1. The clinical evidence of Carditis occurred in 4, but only 1 was manifested by significant murmurs.
2. The results of the study indicate that rheumatic fever represents a continuous, sppctrum.:´ from childhood to adulthood, in which the incidence of carditis, though diminishing, remains significant,: In addition, cardiace involvement occurs de novo in the adult, resulting in permanent damage.
3. Rheumatic fever in the adult differs from childhood rheumatic fever in the high incidence of arthritis as compared to carditis, and the extremely low incidence of cutaneous nodules, chorea and erythema marginatuni.
4. This would have important implications regarding penicillin prophylaxis.
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