We describe the long-term follow-up of a patient affected by chorea mollis, a rare variant of Sydenham's chorea of which there are very few reports in the literature. Our patient, a previously healthy 8-year-old boy developed progressive clumsiness, gait disturbance, generalised hypotonia and muscle weakness, choreic movements of the limbs and behavioural disturbances. Following the diagnosis of chorea mollis, the patient received prophylaxis (monthly injections of benzathine benzyl penicillin). Within a few weeks, his clinical conditions worsened and he became bedridden and incapable of standing and walking without assistance. The choreic movements were successfully treated with sodium valproate. Independent walking was achieved 14 months after the onset of the disease. At a 4-year follow-up, the patient showed a full neurological and psychiatric recovery. The clinical course observed in our patient shows that chorea mollis may not only have a dramatic course, but also have a good long-term prognosis.

Chorea mollis: long-term follow-up of an infantile case.

BALOTTIN, UMBERTO;VEGGIOTTI, PIERANGELO;TERMINE, CRISTIANO
2012-01-01

Abstract

We describe the long-term follow-up of a patient affected by chorea mollis, a rare variant of Sydenham's chorea of which there are very few reports in the literature. Our patient, a previously healthy 8-year-old boy developed progressive clumsiness, gait disturbance, generalised hypotonia and muscle weakness, choreic movements of the limbs and behavioural disturbances. Following the diagnosis of chorea mollis, the patient received prophylaxis (monthly injections of benzathine benzyl penicillin). Within a few weeks, his clinical conditions worsened and he became bedridden and incapable of standing and walking without assistance. The choreic movements were successfully treated with sodium valproate. Independent walking was achieved 14 months after the onset of the disease. At a 4-year follow-up, the patient showed a full neurological and psychiatric recovery. The clinical course observed in our patient shows that chorea mollis may not only have a dramatic course, but also have a good long-term prognosis.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11571/330726
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 1
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact