The therapeutic effects of ACTH and cortisone have been studied in a series of 100 patients with acute rheumatic fever, with special emphasis on cardiologic observations. This series involved cyclical alternation among hormone-treated patients and control patients. The latter received symptomatic and supportive therapy, but not salicylates in large doses.Observations on such patients during the period of hospitalization (did not indicate any significant difference between hormone-treated and control subjects in terms of the appearance or disappearance of cardiac murmurs, the degree of transmission of apical systolic murmurs, incidence and duration of pericarditis, or other cardiologic phenomena recorded.Rates of occurrence of "rebound" phenomena and of complications of the hormone therapy have also been reported.
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