Chorea induced by the use of oral contraceptives. Report of a case and review of the literature.
A rare complication of oral contraceptive therapy is the induction of chorea. We describe the case-history of a young woman who developed generalized chorea while receiving a low-dose estrogen-containing contraceptive. Dyskinesia resolved upon discontinuing the medication and after a brief treatment with an antidopaminergic agent. The literature of chorea associated with oral contraceptives and the different hypotheses about its pathogenesis are reviewed.
D000328:Adult; D002819:Chorea / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects; D017135:Desogestrel; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects
D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D009652:Norpregnenes; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D017135:Desogestrel