Is Sydenham chorea permanent?

Is Sydenham chorea permanent?

Because Sydenham chorea is a complication of rheumatic fever, some individuals will have additional symptoms of joint arthritis or arthralgia, inflammation of the heart valves causing permanent damage to the valves, and ongoing fever. Sydenham chorea symptoms usually resolve within three weeks to six months.

Is Sydenham chorea progressive?

Chorea is a primary feature of Huntington’s disease, a progressive, hereditary movement disorder that appears in adults, but it may also occur in a variety of other conditions. Sydenham’s chorea occurs in a small percentage (20 percent) of children and adolescents as a complication of rheumatic fever.

What Causes Sydenham chorea?

Sydenham chorea is caused by an infection with bacteria called group A streptococcus. This is the bacteria that cause rheumatic fever (RF) and strep throat. Group A streptococcus bacteria can react with a part of the brain called basal ganglia to cause this disorder.

How many people have Sydenham’s chorea?

In the United States, about 4,000 kids a year develop Sydenham chorea after having rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is a serious complication of untreated strep throat. Girls are more likely than boys to get rheumatic fever. It usually occurs between 5 and 15 years of age.

Can Sydenham be cured?

There is no specific treatment for Sydenham’s chorea and symptoms usually resolve themselves in approximately 3 to 6 months. Bed rest, sedatives and medication to control movements may be prescribed.

Does chorea go away in sleep?

Overall, chorea can affect various body parts, and interfere with speech, swallowing, posture and gait, and disappears in sleep.

What does chorea feel like?

The most common symptom is jerky movements of the arms and legs, known as ‘chorea’. Chorea usually starts as mild twitching and gradually increases over the years. A person with Huntington’s disease may also have difficulties with speech, swallowing and concentration.

What was the Saint Vitus dance?

Sydenham chorea, also called St. Vitus Dance, chorea minor, infectious chorea, or rheumatic chorea, a neurological disorder characterized by irregular and involuntary movements of muscle groups in various parts of the body that follow streptococcal infection.

Is chorea the same as Huntington’s disease?

Chorea, which is sometimes a symptom of Huntington’s disease, but not deadly, is one of several known involuntary movements, which also include more common ones such as tremor and tics. To the untrained eye, it can be challenging to identify chorea, because its appearance varies from one individual to another.