Persistent rheumatic chorea.
A 79-year-old woman had rheumatic chorea that persisted after age 5 years and increased in severity at age 73. The continued chorea and late decompensation could have been due to incomplete functional resolution in the basal ganglia and decreasing reserve of striatal neurons with age. Sydenham's chorea persisting into late life has not been reported previously.
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002819:Chorea / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000150:complications*