IJCS | Volume 31, Nº6, November / December 2018

580 Table 1 - Baseline characteristics of the study population (n = 93) Variables Results Female gender - n (%) 47 (50.54) Male gender - n (%) 46 (49.46) Age (years old) - mean ± standard deviation 9.89 ± 3.10 Table 2 - Distribution of treatment with Prednisone (in mg) in patients with rheumatic carditis (n = 93) Initial doses Total weeks n % 95% confidence interval Lower Upper 60 11 51 54.84 43.4 64.5 50 10 23 24.72 17.6 34.0 40 9 13 13.97 7.9 21.1 30 8 6 6.47 2.2 12.9 Table 3 - Surgical cases in patients with rheumatic carditis (n = 22) Surgery performed Affected valve n % 95% confidence interval Lower Upper Single repair Mitral 1 1.08 0.0 13.6 Double repair Mitral and Tricuspid 2 2.15 0.0 22.7 Repair / biological prosthesis Mitral / Aortic 1 1.08 0.0 13.6 Repair and biological prosthesis two years later Mitral 1 1.08 0.0 13.6 Repair and metal prosthesis in the same year Mitral 1 1.08 0.0 13.6 Repair / biological prosthesis Tricuspid / Mitral 3 3.23 0.0 31.8 Repair / metal prosthesis Tricuspid / Mitral 1 1.08 0.0 13.6 Repair / double metal prosthesis Tricuspid / Mitral and Aortic 2 2.15 0.0 22.7 Single biological prosthesis Mitral 4 4.30 4.5 36.4 Single biological prosthesis Aortic 1 1.08 0.0 13.6 Double biological prosthesis Mitral and Aortic 3 3.23 4.5 27.3 Single metal prosthesis Aortic 2 2.15 0.0 22.7 Lemos et al. Evolutive study of rheumatic carditis cases Int J Cardiovasc Sci. 2018;31(6)578-584 Original Article Between the ages of 5 and 18 years, the mean age of these patients was 9.89 years old, of which 47 (50.54%) were females. No significant gender-related differences were observed (Table 1). Of the total number of patients, 11 (11.83%) did not adequately respond to oral Prednisone and were consequentlygivenpulsetherapywithMethylprednisolone. Six (6.47%) of them had mild, 36 (38.69%) had moderate and 51 (54.84%) had severe carditis, indicating that 93.53% of the cases had the moderate or severe form of the disease. All 93 patients (100%) also had mitral insufficiency. An initial daily dose of 30 mg of Prednisone was administered to mild cases, whereas 40 to 60 mg a day were administered to moderate or severe cases (Table 2). In group A, 71 patients (76.31%) received corticoids, with no surgical intervention. Among them, only two (2.15%) were lost to follow-up. Group B consisted of 22 patients (23.69%) who required surgery in addition to corticoid treatment. Among them, 17 (18.31%) had good outcomes (decreased pressure gradient and intracavitary volume, with left ventricular systolic function improvement). Five (5.38%) died. The team performed surgical corrections of the mitral, aortic and/or tricuspid valves through repairs or replacements (Table 3). As shown in Table 3, eight patients (8.64%) underwent surgery in only one valve. Two patients (2.15%) underwent surgery twice for the same valve, at different