Sydenham chorea

Alternative names:

St. Vitus dance

Definition:

A movement disorder that is associated with rheumatic fever; it may appear as the only sign of acute rheumatic fever.

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 as it may be the only sign of rheumatic fever in some patients. The movements of Sydenham chorea are involuntary, jerky, and purposeless. The movements are not rhythmic and occur sporadically in different muscle groups. A sitting child might suddenly have an arm jerk upward followed by a leg extension then a head nod all 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.