Chorea in patients with AIDS

OBJECTIVE: To describe differing etiologies and possible anatomoclinical correlates of choreic movements in a series of AIDS patients. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical records and neuroimaging data of 5 consecutive AIDS patients who developed choreic movements at our center from January, 1994 to December, 1996. RESULTS: There were 2 cases of focal choreic dyskinesias, 1 of right hemichorea, and 2 of generalized chorea. Onset was acute and febrile in 1 case, and subacute in the other 4. In 1 patient the chorea was the AIDS onset symptom; in another choreic movements were the first neurological symptom following AIDS diagnosis; in 2 patients AIDS had a neurological onset other than chorea; and in the fifth patient buccofacial dyskinesias appeared following the development of bacterial encephalitis. CONCLUSION: Chorea was associated with cerebral toxoplasmosis in 2 patients, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in 1, subacute HIV encephalopathy in another, and was probably iatrogenic in the last. Chorea is not unusual in AIDS, however the causes are variable and careful neuroradiological and clinical evaluation is required to identify them. AIDS-related disease should be considered in young patients presenting with chorea without a family history of movement disorders.     

Corticosteroid treatment in patients with Sydenham's chorea

Sydenham's chorea occurs in approximately 10% of acute rheumatic fever and is one of its major manifestations. The disease may last for weeks or months, with a high risk of recurrence; usually only supportive treatment is recommended. This report describes five children diagnosed with Sydenham's chorea and treated with a short course of corticosteroids. Marked improvement of the involuntary movements was observed within 24-48 hours, with complete resolution within 7-12 days after commencement of treatment; there were no relapses. Larger, possibly comparative studies are necessary, but in the meantime treatment with corticosteroids in patients with Sydenham's chorea should be considered.     

Executive functioning in adult patients with Sydenham's chorea

Sydenham's chorea (SC) is characterized by a combination of motor and behavioral findings. Cognitive function has been scarcely studied in this condition. The aim of this study is to investigate executive functions in adult patients with SC. We performed neuropsychological tests to evaluate executive functions in controls and adult patients with persistent and in remission SC. Patients with SC have impairment in Tower of London task, reduced verbal fluency, and lower scores in the Stroop test. A subset of adult patients with SC present with executive dysfunction, even when chorea is in remission. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society     

High prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with Sydenham's chorea

The 20-item Leyton Obsessional Inventory--Child Version was completed by children and adolescents who had had Sydenham's chorea (N = 23) or rheumatic fever without chorea (N = 14). The Sydenham's chorea subjects had significantly more obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors and significantly greater interference from these behaviors. Three Sydenham's chorea patients but no rheumatic fever patients had substantial obsessional interference and met criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder when interviewed by telephone. This suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder, at least in some patients, may be due to basal ganglia dysfunction.     

非酮症高血糖性舞蹈症

目的对非酮症高血糖性舞蹈症患者的临床表现、影像学特征及发病机制进行分析。方法结合相关文献对5例非酮症高血糖舞蹈症患者的临床资料进行分析。结果 5例均急性起病,可表现为单侧或双侧肢体的舞蹈症状;血糖和血渗透压明显增高;影像学表现为特异性斑片状脑出血和纹状体T1高信号;联合应用降糖药物和多巴胺受体阻滞剂可控制舞蹈症状。结论非酮症性高血糖、舞蹈症以及MRI显示为纹状体T1高信号,可能构成舞蹈症临床综合征;影像学改变可能表示由代谢紊乱引起的斑片状脑出血,后者导致基底神经节运动环路受损,从而产生舞蹈样症状。     

Sydenham's chorea: a clinical follow-up of 65 patients

Sydenham's chorea, the neurological manifestation of rheumatic fever, is the most common acquired chorea of childhood. In this retrospective study, the authors aim to present the clinical and laboratory findings of 65 Sydenham's chorea patients, followed up in a clinic over less than 7 years. The mean age at the onset of the symptoms was 11.7 +/- 2.6 years (range, 6-17 years). Of the patients, 63% were female and 37% were male (male/female: 1.7/1). Chorea was generalized in 78.5% of the patients, right hemichorea in 12.3%, and left hemichorea 9.2%. There was a history of rheumatic fever in 30.8% of the patients. Echocardiographic study showed cardiac valve involvement in 70.5% of 61 patients. Brain magnetic resonance imaging, which was performed on only 18 patients, was evaluated as normal in all. Electroencephalography was also performed on only 18 patients and showed abnormal waves in 50% of them. Pimozide was mostly the first choice of drug therapy. Nevertheless, drug therapy was not needed in 18.5% of the patients. The recovery period of the first attack of the chorea was 1 to 6 months in 51.7% of the patients. The recurrence rate was 37.9%. In conclusion, Sydenham's chorea is still an important health problem in Turkey with respect to its morbidity.     

Sodium valproate in Sydenham's chorea

Five patients with a moderate to severe degree of Sydenham's chorea were treated with sodium valproate for their involuntary movements. Within a week of commencement of treatment, the choreic movements disappeared completely. Sodium valproate appears to be a promising drug in the management of Sydenham's chorea.     

Randomized double-blind study with prednisone in Sydenham's chorea

In this randomized, double-blind, parallel study of a group of 22 children and teenagers, prednisone efficacy in acute Sydenham's chorea was assessed. Use of prednisone (2 mg/kg/day during 4 weeks, followed by a gradual discontinuation) in the 22 patients and in a placebo group (n = 15) was evaluated by a chorea intensity score based on presence, distribution, and interference of choreic movement on daily activities. Each patient was evaluated by the same pediatric neurologist weekly during the first month, followed by evaluation on weeks 8 and 12, with further evaluations as necessary if choreic movements persisted. Although initial chorea intensity was similar in both groups, a significant difference was observed after 1 week of medication (P < 0.001) with a larger reduction in the prednisone group, that continued until the end of the study. Percentage decrease in chorea intensity scale score also was persistently and significantly (P < 0.001) greater in the prednisone group. Chorea complete remission time with prednisone (mean 54.3 days) was significantly shorter (P < 0.001) when compared with the placebo group (mean 119.9 days). Seven patients presented recurrences, with no difference between groups (13.6% and 26.7% in the prednisone and placebo groups, respectively). Severe adverse events to prednisone were not observed.     

Chorea associated with oral contraception

Summary Three patients developed chorea while receiving oral contraceptives. Two were young patients whose chorea developed long after treatment had been started and disappeared soon after it had been discontinued. The third patient had acute amphetamine-induced chorea after prolonged oral contraception. Prolonged administration of female sex hormones is a possible cause of chorea in women who have not previously had chorea or rheumatic fever.     

非酮症高血糖性舞蹈病

非酮症高血糖性舞蹈病是一特殊的综合征,多见于老年女性糖尿病患者,急性起病,可表现为单侧或双侧肢体的舞蹈症状;血糖和血渗透压增高;联合应用降糖药物和多巴胺受体阻滞剂可控制舞蹈症状;其影像学具有特征性改变,颅脑MRIT1相表现为单侧或双侧基底节区高信号,随着病情的好转,高信号病灶可消失。     

Treatment of acute Sydenham's chorea with methyl-prednisolone pulse-therapy

Serious adverse effects with antichoreic drugs can occur in patients with acute Sydenham's chorea (SC). The response to conventional treatment in severe SC may also be poor. Thus alternative therapeutic strategies have been developed. We report on four patients with severe acute SC (two with chorea paralytica and two with neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism) treated with i.v. methyl-prednisolone pulse-therapy followed by oral prednisone. The mean+/-SEM clinical rating score dropped from 63.7+/-10.2 to 33.5+/-10.6 in the first month post-treatment but in a lesser degree thereafter. Only one patient developed weight gain and 'moon facies'. This case series suggests that immune suppression with corticosteroids may be an effective and safe treatment in complicated and severe acute SC.     

Sydenham's chorea is associated with decreased verbal fluency

BACKGROUND: Sydenham's chorea (SC) is a disorder associated with rheumatic fever and related to Streptococcus-induced immune reaction cross-reactive with basal ganglia antigens. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and other behavioral abnormalities have been described in SC. There are scarce data of cognitive function in this condition. OBJECTIVE: To assess verbal fluency in patients with SC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We have compared the semantic (SVF) and phonemic verbal fluency (PVF) of 20 subjects with SC and 40 controls matched by age, gender and years of school. RESULTS: The scores of the control group on the SVF and PVF tests were 26.3 +/- 5.7 and 18.0 +/- 6.4 whereas the SC patients scored 25.1 +/- 6.9 and 12.5 +/- 8.2. PVF was significantly decreased in the SC group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: SC is associated with reduction of PVF. This finding may reflect disruption of the dorsolateral prefrontal-striatal circuit caused by the auto-immune process characteristic of SC.     

Sydenham's chorea and psychosis

The medical histories of 600 psychotic and 369 nonpsychotic subjects were examined for the occurrence of rheumatic chorea. There was significantly more rheumatic chorea in the histories of psychotic patients than in nonpsychotics (p less than 0.01, chi-square). Neuropathological associations are discussed.     

Chorea Huntington-Sippe

Zusammenfassung Bei der Erforschung der im vorstehenden geschilderten Huntington sippe, bei der es sich nur um eine reine Chorea Huntington handelt, fand ich, da\ sich die Krankheit durch alle Generationen ohne Unterbrechung direkt weiter vererbt, und da\ die Nachkommenschaft der Personen, die dauernd frei von Chorea geblieben sind, für alle Zeiten von dieser Erbkrankheit verschont bleiben, da\ also, wie auch schon von anderen Autoren erwÄhnt wird, dieHuntingtonsche Chorea eine dominant gehende mendelnde Krankheit ist. Von Generation zu Generation beginnt die Krankheit früher, so da\ man von einer Anteposition des Krankheitsbeginnes derselben sprechen kann. Bei allen Erkrankten beginnt die Krankheit mit psychischen Störungen von pseudo-psychopathischen Symptomen wie JÄhzorn, Eifersucht und Reizbarkeit. Erst spÄter treten die choreatischen Unruhebewegungen auf, die bei unseren Erkrankten im Schlaf sistierten. Neurologisch findet man durchweg Zeichen des extrapyramidalen Symptomenkomplexes. Anatomisch fÄllt an dem Gehirn des Probanden die schon makroskopisch sichtbare hochgradige Atrophie der Stammganglien auf. Histologisch-anatomisch findet man an Stelle der zugrunde gegangenen Ganglienzellen eine AnhÄufung von Astrocyten und stellenweise Gliafaserfilz, au\erdem durch die enorme Atrophie ein enges Aneinanderrücken der Markfaserbündel.