Chorea (disease)
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| Chorea (disease) | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | G25.5 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 333.5 |
| DiseasesDB | 16662 |
| eMedicine | neuro/62 |
| MeSH | D002819 |
Chorea is an abnormal involuntary movement disorder, one of a group of neurological disorders called dyskinesias. The term chorea is derived from a Greek word χορεία (a kind of dance, see chorea (dance)), as the quick movements of the feet or hands are vaguely comparable to dancing or piano playing.
The term hemichorea refers to chorea of one side of the body, such as chorea of one arm and not both (comparable to hemiballismus).
Contents |
[edit] Presentation
Chorea is characterized by brief, quasi-purposeful, irregular contractions that are not repetitive or rhythmic, but appear to flow from one muscle to the next.
These 'dance-like' movements of chorea (from the same root word as "choreography") often occur with athetosis, which adds twisting and writhing movements. Lumps called nodules may also form under the skin in bony areas.
[edit] Causes
Chorea can occur in a variety of conditions and disorders.
- Chorea is a primary feature of Huntington's disease, a progressive, neurological disorder.
- Twenty percent of children and adolescents with rheumatic fever develop Sydenham's chorea as a complication.
- Chorea gravidarum is rare type of chorea which is a complication of pregnancy.
- Chorea may also be caused by drugs (levodopa, anti-convulsants, anti-psychotics), metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders, and vascular incidents.
[edit] Ballism
When chorea is serious, slight movements will become thrashing motions; this form of severe chorea is referred to as ballism. Walking may become peculiar, and include odd postures and leg movements. Unlike ataxia and dystonia, which affect the quality of voluntary movements or parkinsonism, which is a hindrance of voluntary movements, the movements of chorea and ballism occur on their own, without conscious effort.
[edit] Treatment
There is no standard course of treatment for chorea. Treatment depends on the type of chorea and the associated disease.
Although there are many drugs that can control Chorea, there is no known cure.
| Cause | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Huntington's disease | A common treatment is dopaminergic antagonists, although treatment is largely supportive. |
| Sydenham's chorea | Haloperidol, carbamazepine and valproic acid.Usually involves antibiotic drugs to treat the infection, followed by drug therapy to prevent recurrence. |
| Chorea gravidarum | haloperidol[1][2][3], chlorpromazine alone or in combination with diazepam, also pimozide can also be used. |
| Drug-induced chorea. | Adjusting medication dosages. |
| Metabolic and endocrine-related choreas | Treated according to the cause(s) of symptoms. |
[edit] References
- ^ Axley J (December 1972). "Rheumatic chorea controlled with haloperidol". The Journal of Pediatrics 81 (6): 1216–7. PMID 4643046.
- ^ Patterson JF (September 1979). "Treatment of chorea gravidarum with haloperidol". Southern Medical Journal 72 (9): 1220–1. PMID 472859. http://meta.wkhealth.com/pt/pt-core/template-journal/lwwgateway/media/landingpage.htm?issn=0038-4348&volume=72&issue=9&spage=1220.
- ^ Donaldson JO (March 1982). "Control of chorea gravidarum with haloperidol". Obstetrics and Gynecology 59 (3): 381–2. PMID 7078886.
[edit] See also
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