A 38-year-old immigrant woman comes to the Emergency Department with right-sided weakness and slurring of her speech. Initial imaging and studies are obtained, and she is found to have suffered an ischemic stroke and is treated appropriately. When you go to examine her, she has an irregularly irregular pulse, and on cardiac examination she has an early diastolic high-pitched opening snap at the apex followed by a low-pitched diastolic rumbling murmur. Upon further discussion with the family, they indicate that she does not have any chronic medical problems and has not been to the doctor since she was a baby. She had frequent throat infections as a child, but these always resolved without treatment. She takes no medications and does not smoke or drink alcohol. The mechanism by which this condition developed is most similar to which of the following other conditions?Ask StudybuddyGroup of answer choicesGraves diseaseCystic fibrosisGuillain–Barré syndromeSarcoidosisInfective endocarditis
Question
A 38-year-old immigrant woman comes to the Emergency Department with right-sided weakness and slurring of her speech. Initial imaging and studies are obtained, and she is found to have suffered an ischemic stroke and is treated appropriately. When you go to examine her, she has an irregularly irregular pulse, and on cardiac examination she has an early diastolic high-pitched opening snap at the apex followed by a low-pitched diastolic rumbling murmur. Upon further discussion with the family, they indicate that she does not have any chronic medical problems and has not been to the doctor since she was a baby. She had frequent throat infections as a child, but these always resolved without treatment. She takes no medications and does not smoke or drink alcohol. The mechanism by which this condition developed is most similar to which of the following other conditions?Ask StudybuddyGroup of answer choicesGraves diseaseCystic fibrosisGuillain–Barré syndromeSarcoidosisInfective endocarditis
Solution
The patient's symptoms and history suggest that she has rheumatic heart disease, which is a complication of untreated strep throat infections. This condition can lead to irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation, and can also cause strokes. The mechanism of this disease is similar to that of rheumatic fever, where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues after a streptococcal infection. This is an example of molecular mimicry, which is also seen in Guillain–Barré syndrome. In Guillain–Barré syndrome, the immune system attacks the nerves, often after a respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infection. Therefore, the mechanism by which this condition developed is most similar to Guillain–Barré syndrome.
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