Erythema marginatum may persist intermittently for weeks to months, even after successful treatment of ARF. Subcutaneous nodules (small lumps under the skin) – ...DermNetprovidesGoogleTranslate,afreemachinetranslationservice.Notethatthismaynotprovideanexacttranslationinalllanguageslogo-newThispagewasprintedon8/7/2021HomeTopicsA–ZImagesBrowseDermDiagGlossaryQuizzesAboutContactJobsDonatebreadcrumbsHome»TopicsA–Z»RheumaticfeverRheumaticfeverAuthor:MarieHartley,StaffWriter,2010. Latestupdateby Dr Jannet Gomez,PostgraduateStudentinClinicalDermatology,QueenMaryUniversityLondon,UnitedKingdom,July2016.Rheumaticfever—codesandconceptsopenCategories:BacterialinfectionSubcategories:Acuterheumaticfever,Erythemamarginatum,Erythemamarginatumrheumaticum,Polyarthritis,Carditis,Sydenhamchorea,Subcutaneousskinnodules,Rheumaticheartdisease,Jonescriteria,GroupAstreptococcalpharyngitis,GroupAstreptococcalskininfection,ASOTICD-10:I00,I01,I02.5,L53.2,I01.9,I09.9,I01.2ICD-11:1B40.Z,EA50.0,1B40.Y,BC20.1,1B41.Z,1B42SNOMEDCT:58718002,14175009,60261000,26424001,38933006,703119002,240041006,200951007,312591002,24363009,46826000Whatisacuterheumaticfever?Acuterheumaticfever(ARF)iscausedbyareactiontoabacterialinfectionwithparticularstrainsofgroupAstreptococcus.IthaslongbeenthoughtthatARFonlyfollowsstreptococcalpharyngitis(sorethroat),howeverrecentstudiesfromAboriginalpopulationsinAustraliahavesuggestedstreptococcalskininfectionmayprecedesomecasesofARF.ThosewhohaveexperiencedoneepisodeofARFaremorelikelytosufferrecurrentattackswithsubsequentgroupAstreptococcalinfections. Theskinsignofacuterheumaticfeveriserythemamarginatum.Whogetsrheumaticfever?ARFusuallyaffectschildrenaged5–15years.MostcasesofARFcurrentlyoccurindevelopingcountries.Worldwidethereisanestimated470000newcasesofARFannually(60%ofwhomeventuallydeveloprheumaticheartdisease).InmostdevelopedcountriesARFisnowrare,withafewnotableexceptions;thehighestdocumentedratesofARFintheworldareinMaoriandPacificpeopleinNewZealand,AboriginalAustralians,andth