Chorea << kaw REE uh >> is any of a number of disorders characterized by brief, rapid, uncoordinated movements. The word is often used to mean acute chorea, a condition associated with rheumatic fever. Acute chorea is also called Sydenham chorea. This chorea occurs most commonly in children between the ages of 7 and 15 years. Doctors do not know exactly what causes the chorea. The infectious agent of rheumatic fever may be in the patient’s body for weeks or months before symptoms of chorea develop.
Chorea develops gradually. The patient becomes inattentive, nervous and irritable, and cries easily. The patient has difficulty writing, often stumbles, and falls easily. Uncoordinated movements of the face, limbs, and body soon develop. These movements are completely without purpose. They become worse when the patient is excited, but disappear during sleep. The symptoms may last from two to four months or more, but the patient eventually recovers. Doctors treat chorea with sedatives. Patients must remain in bed, have a nutritious diet, and avoid fatigue. Doctors try to prevent chorea by treating infections promptly.
The word chorea comes from a Greek word meaning dance. The disease probably was named for the muscular twitchings of the limbs and body that resemble a grotesque dance.
See also Huntington’s disease.
