| Choreia (disease) | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | G25.5 |
| ICD-9 | 333.5 |
| DiseasesDB | 16662 |
| eMedicine | neuro/62 |
| MeSH | D002819 |
Choreia (or chorea) is an abnormal involuntary movement disorder, one of a group of neurological disorders called dyskinesias. The term choreia is derived from the Greek word χορεία (=dance), see choreia (dance)), as the quick movements of the feet or hands are vaguely comparable to dancing or piano playing.
The term hemichoreia refers to choreia of one side of the body, such as choreia of one arm and not both (comparable to hemiballismus).
Contents |
Presentation
Choreia 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 choreia (from the same root word as "choreography") often occur with athetosis, which adds twisting and writhing movements.
This condition is portrayed by Edward Norton's character in the film The Score, especially when he says "OK bye bye"
Causes
Choreia can occur in a variety of conditions and disorders.
- Choreia 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.
- Choreia gravidarum is rare type of choreia which is a complication of pregnancy.
- Choreia may also be caused by drugs (levodopa, anti-convulsants, anti-psychotics), metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders, and vascular incidents.
- Ataxia telangiectasia
- Wilson's disease, a genetic disorder that leads to toxic levels of copper in the body
Ballism
When choreia is serious, slight movements will become thrashing motions; this form of severe choreia 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 choreia and ballism occur on their own, without conscious effort.
Treatment
There is no standard course of treatment for choreia. Treatment depends on the type of choreia and the associated disease. Although there are many drugs that can control it, there is no known cure.
| Form | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Huntington's-related | 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. |
| Choreia gravidarum | haloperidol[1][2][3], chlorpromazine alone or in combination with diazepam, also pimozide can also be used. |
| Wilson's disease | Reducing levels of copper in the body using D-penicillinamine, trientine hydrochloride, tetrathiomolybdate, and other chelating agents |
| Drug-induced choreia | Adjusting medication dosages. |
| Metabolic and endocrine-related choreias | Treated according to their causes. |
References
- ^ Axley J (December 1972). "Rheumatic choreia controlled with haloperidol". The Journal of Pediatrics 81 (6): 1216–7. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(72)80272-5. PMID 4643046.
- ^ Patterson JF (September 1979). "Treatment of choreia 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 choreia gravidarum with haloperidol". Obstetrics and Gynecology 59 (3): 381–2. PMID 7078886.
See also
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