Aortic stenosis causes left ventricular hypertrophy. A dominant mitral regurgitation causes dilatation and hypertrophy of all 4 chambers. Aschoff body in myocardium is considered one of the rare truly pathognomonic lesions in pathology. Consists of a spindle shaped interstitial aggregate of characteristic large mononuclear cells, the Aschoff body, with prominent nuclei and cytoplasm often arranged in curious parallel rows separated by a fibrinoid exudate, considered to be a fibrinoid necrosis of collagen and, possibly, myocardial fibers. Valvular lesions show a surface fibrinoid necrosis with an underlying continuous exudate of large reactive cells like those seen in an Aschoff body.
Scars replace the destroyed tissues, and are non-specific in appearence.
Hemodynamic injury to deformed valves increases tendency to further fibrosis and calcification. Subcutaneous nodules, chorea, and erythema marginatum also typical manifestations. Surgical replacement of deformed valves of value to prevent potential complications such as IE and embolization of atrial mural thrombi. Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. Medline will open in a new window.