Sign
Sydenham's chorea
An autoimmune movement disorder after group A streptococcal pharyngitis, with involuntary purposeless movements appearing weeks to months later; a major Jones criterion of acute rheumatic fever.
Also called: rheumatic chorea
- Found
- On observing the child for involuntary, purposeless movements of the face, trunk and limbs.
- Normal
- Movements are voluntary, coordinated and purposeful.
- Abnormal
- Rapid, irregular, involuntary dance-like movements, often with hypotonia and emotional lability.
- Suggests
- Acute rheumatic fever; it is a major Jones criterion and can appear without the other manifestations.
- Named after
- Thomas Sydenham, who described it in 1686.