Rheumatic chorea
Evidence: Unconfirmed
Names
Syndenham chorea
Rheumatic chorea
St. Vitus Dance
Description
Sydenham chorea is a rare neurological disorder typically occurring during childhood. It is caused by an autoimmune reaction following infection from the same bacterium that causes rheumatic fever. It leads to chorea: sudden, continuous, involuntary movements affecting the entire body. Symptoms can last in children anywhere from 3 weeks to several months. Patients with mild cases recover on their own in a few weeks, but treatment is available to provide relief to those with severe symptoms.
Bloggers
None
Prevalence
US Cases: Unknown [Beier 2020]. Relatively uncommon in the United States due to the decrease in rheumatic fever. More common in developing countries where 40% of individuals with rheumatic fever develop Sydenham chorea. ARI has assigned a prevalence of 50 - our placeholder for extremely rare diseases with no known prevalence.
Typical Age of onset
Usually in children ages 5-15 years
Rare in children below 5 years of age and in adults
Symptoms
Abnormal, involuntary movements of the body, limbs, and face while awake (chorea)
Difficulty walking, talking, performing daily tasks
Muscle weakness
Diminished muscle tone
Tics
Obsessions and compulsions
Anxiety
Fluctuating mood
Slurred speech
Confusion
Irritability
References
Profile by Hannah Link
