Question

A 10-year-old male presents with fever, lymphadenopathy, arthralgia, and nosebleeds. He is diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease. The most likely cause of this disease is:

Answer 1

Rheumatic heart disease is often caused by an autoimmune reaction following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, and can lead to irreversible heart valve damage if not properly treated.

Step-by-step explanation:

The diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease in a 10-year-old male presenting with fever, lymphadenopathy, arthralgia, and nosebleeds is most likely caused by an autoimmune reaction following an infection with Streptococcus pyogenes. This condition, known as rheumatic fever, arises from a cross-reaction between patient antibodies to the bacterial surface proteins and similar proteins found on cardiac, neuronal, and synovial tissues. The most significant complication of rheumatic fever is carditis, which can result in irreversible damage to the heart valves if not treated appropriately and in a timely manner, increasing the risk of rheumatic heart disease with recurrent episodes.