Clinical Evaluation and Diagnosis of Acute Rheumatic Fever

Abstract The diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) relies on a combination of clinical evaluation and laboratory studies. Diagnosis is usually made using the Jones criteria, which have recently been updated in 2015. Marked shifts in the epidemiology of ARF, advances in echocardiography, and recognition of the variable presentation of rheumatic joint disease have all helped to shape the latest guidelines. However, ongoing molecular and genetic research may one day facilitate the development of a single diagnostic test for ARF, or at least an improvement to the Jones criteria.