chorea

chorea /cho·rea/ (ko-re´ah) [L.] the ceaseless occurrence of rapid, jerky, dyskinetic, involuntary movements.chore´ic

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acute chorea  Sydenham's c.

chronic chorea , chronic progressive hereditary chorea Huntington's c.

hereditary chorea , Huntington's chorea a hereditary disease marked by chronic progressive chorea and mental deterioration to dementia.

Sydenham's chorea  a self-limited disorder, occurring between the ages of 5 and 15, or during pregnancy, linked with rheumatic fever, and marked by involuntary movements that gradually become severe, affecting all motor activities.

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cho·re·a (kô-r, k-)

n.

Irregular, spasmodic, involuntary movements of the limbs or facial muscles.

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cho·real, cho·reic adj.

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Chorea

A term that is used to refer to rapid, jerky, involuntary movements of the limbs or face that characterize several different disorders of the nervous system, including chorea of pregnancy and Huntington's chorea as well as Sydenham's chorea.

Mentioned in: Huntington Disease, Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, Rheumatic Fever, Sydenham's Chorea

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chorea

[kôrē′ə]

Etymology: Gk, choreia, dance

a condition characterized by involuntary purposeless, rapid motions, as flexing and extending of the fingers, raising and lowering of the shoulders, or grimacing. The movements often appear to be well coordinated. In some forms the person is also irritable, emotionally unstable, physically weak, restless, and fretful. See also chorea gravidarum, Huntington's disease, Sydenham's chorea. choreic [kôrā′ik] , adj.

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chorea [ko-re´ah]

the ceaseless occurrence of rapid, jerky involuntary movements. adj., adj chore´ic.

acute chorea Sydenham's chorea.

chronic chorea Huntington's chorea.

chorea gravida´rum sydenham's chorea in early pregnancy, with or without a previous history of rheumatic fever.

hereditary chorea (Huntington's chorea) see huntington's chorea.

Sydenham's chorea see sydenham's chorea.

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chorea (St. Vitus' dance) (kôrē´),

n a disorder of the central nervous system resulting in purposeless, involuntary athetoid (writhing) movements of the muscles of the face and extremities. It may be associated with or follow rheumatic fever (Sydenham's chorea), hysteria, senility, or infections, or it may be a hereditary disorder (Huntington's chorea).

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chorea

in humans the ceaseless occurrence of rapid, jerky involuntary movements, but the term is usually applied to the myoclonus seen in dogs associated with infection by distemper virus.

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chorea

Neurology A condition characterized by involuntary but seemingly well-coordinated, rapid, complex, spastic movements. See Sydenham's chorea.