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Sydenham chorea

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

St. Vitus dance

Symptoms:

• History of sore throat preceding, by several weeks, the appearance of Sydenham's chorea
• Onset of uncontrollable movements
• Movements are jerky and purposeless
• Loss of fine motor control
• Emotional lability with bouts of inappropriate crying or laughing
• Any other signs of rheumatic fever (see acute rheumatic fever)

Signs and tests:

There may be a history of sore throat for several weeks preceding the appearance of Sydenham's chorea.

Blood tests that may show signs of rheumatic fever include:

• ESR
• ASO
• CRP (C-reactive protein)
• Streptozyme test

Other tests related to acute rheumatic fever:

• ECG
• Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)

• 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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