Chorea minor and chorea gravidarum

1. Big picture

Chorea is a hyperkinetic extrapyramidal movement disorder characterized by irregular, sudden, brief, fast, non-rhythmic involuntary movements that seem to “flow” from one body part to another.

Two important reversible choreiform disorders are:

1. Chorea minor, also called Sydenham chorea
2. Chorea gravidarum

The key exam sentence:

Chorea minor is a reversible post-streptococcal autoimmune chorea associated with rheumatic fever, arthritis and carditis; chorea gravidarum is a pregnancy-associated chorea, often in women with previous Sydenham chorea or autoimmune/rheumatic tendency.

Both are usually reversible, unlike Huntington disease, which is progressive and hereditary.

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