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Sydenham chorea

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Definition:

Sydenham chorea is a movement disorder associated with rheumatic fever.

Alternative Names:

St. Vitus dance

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

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.

• Review Date: 8/26/2006
• Reviewed By: Gail A. Kang, M.D., San Francisco VA Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, & Clinical Center, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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