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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

 

Profile by Hannah Link