• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Sydenham chorea

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

St. Vitus dance

Treatment:

Antibiotics are given to assure clearing of streptococci, the bacteria that cause rheumatic fever. Continuous preventive antibiotics (antibiotic prophylaxis) may be prescribed.

Supportive care is given as necessary to control symptoms of Sydenham chorea. Sedation may be advised in severe cases.

Expectations (prognosis):

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:

No complications are expected.

Calling your health care provider:

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.

• 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.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.