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Alternative names
St. Vitus danceDefinition Return to top
Sydenham chorea is a movement disorder associated with rheumatic fever.Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top
Sydenham chorea is one of the major signs of acute rheumatic fever. It is discussed here as a separate entity because it may be the only sign of rheumatic fever in some patients.
The movements seen in Sydenham chorea are involuntary, jerky, and purposeless. They are not rhythmic and occur sporadically in different muscle groups. For example, a sitting child might suddenly have an arm jerk upward followed by a leg extension, then a head nod. The movements occur in such a way that the child is constantly in motion and seems to be twitching everywhere.
Fine motor control becomes difficult, and handwriting may change dramatically.
Sydenham chorea occurs most frequently in prepubescent girls but may be seen in boys.
Symptoms Return to top
Signs and tests Return to top
There may be a history of sore throat for several weeks preceding the appearance of Sydenham's chorea.Treatment Return to top
Antibiotics are given to assure clearing of streptococci, the bacteria that cause rheumatic fever. Continuous preventive antibiotics (antibiotic prophylaxis) may be prescribed.Expectations (prognosis) Return to top
Sydenham chorea generally clears up over a course of several months. Under unusual circumstances, a variant form of Sydenham chorea may begin later in life.Complications Return to top
No complications are expected.Calling your health care provider Return to top
Call your health care provider if your child develops uncontrollable or jerky movements suggestive of this disease, especially if the child has recently had a sore throat.Prevention Return to top
Careful attention to children's complaints of sore throats and early treatment if they are determined to have streptococcus generally will prevent acute rheumatic fever. If there is a strong family history of rheumatic fever, parents should be especially watchful as their children may be particularly susceptible to this infection. Update Date: 8/1/2004 Updated by: Joseph V. Campellone, M.D., Division of Neurology, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Page last updated: 28 October 2004 |