Sydenham chorea

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. The name St. Vitus Dance derives from the late Middle Ages, when persons with the disease attended the chapels of St. Vitus, who was believed to have curative powers. The disorder was first explained by the English physician Thomas Sydenham. Most often a manifestation of rheumatic fever, Sydenham chorea occurs most frequently between the ages of 5 and 15 years, and is more common in girls than boys. The disease may occur as an infrequent complication of pregnancy.

      The symptoms of Sydenham chorea range in severity from mild to completely incapacitating. A vague deterioration in the ability to perform everyday tasks is replaced by involuntary jerking movements that are most obvious in the extremities and face but are also present in the trunk. Twitching movements are more noticeable on the limbs of one side of the body. The muscles of speech and swallowing may also be affected. Irritability, anxiety, and emotional instability, chiefly episodes of crying initiated by trivial incidents, are also common symptoms.

      It is thought that Sydenham chorea is caused by a malfunctioning of the basal ganglia, groups of nerve cells in the brain. There is evidence that both the emotional manifestations and the abnormal movements of the disease are related to changes in the cerebral cortex. Attacks of Sydenham chorea tend to be self-limited, although the duration of each is several weeks; recurrence is frequent. Recovery is usually complete and is accelerated by bedrest. Sedation or the administration of tranquilizers may provide protection from self-injury in severe cases, when the patient is helpless.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sydenham-Chorea — [ßa̲i̲denhäm...; nach dem engl. Arzt Thomas Sydenham, 1624 bis 1689]: = Chorea minor …   Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke

  • Sydenham-Chorea —   [ sɪdnəm ], Veitstanz …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Sydenham chorea — an acute, generally self limited, neurological disorder seen most often in children between the ages of 5 and 15 years or in women during pregnancy; it is closely linked with rheumatic fever. It is characterized by involuntary movements that… …   Medical dictionary

  • Sydenham chorea cough — Syd·en·ham chorea, cough (sidґən əm) [Thomas Sydenham, English physician, sometimes called “the English Hippocrates,” 1624–1689] see under chorea …   Medical dictionary

  • Chorea gravidarum — Classification and external resources ICD 10 G25.5, O99.3 eMedicine …   Wikipedia

  • chorea gravidarum — chorea in the early months of pregnancy, with or without a previous history of rheumatic disease; it may be the presentation of a type such as Sydenham chorea or some other acute type, or may be idiopathic, and may recur in subsequent pregnancies …   Medical dictionary

  • Sydenham's chorea — Saint Vitus dance redirects here. For other uses, see Saint Vitus dance (disambiguation). Sydenham s chorea Classification and external resources ICD 10 I02 ICD 9 …   Wikipedia

  • Chorea minor — Klassifikation nach ICD 10 I02.0 Rheumatische Chorea mit Herzbeteiligung I02.9 Rheumatische Chorea ohne Herzbeteiligung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • chorea — choreal, choreic, choreatic /kawr ee at ik, kohr /, adj. choreoid /kawr ee oyd , kohr /, adj. /keuh ree euh, kaw , koh /, n. Pathol. 1. any of several diseases of the nervous system characterized by jerky, involuntary movements, chiefly of the… …   Universalium

  • Sydenham, Thomas — born 1624, Wynford Eagle, Dorset, Eng. died Dec. 29, 1689, London British physician. His Observationes medicae (1676) was a standard textbook for two centuries, noted for its detailed observations and the accuracy of its records. His treatise on… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”