title: Treatment of Sydenham chorea with corticosteroids.
abstract: Despite treatment with valproic acid and neuroleptics, a significant proportion of patients with Sydenham chorea (SC) remain with chorea. We evaluated the effect of intravenous methyl-prednisolone followed by oral prednisone in patients with SC refractory to conventional treatment. Patients were enrolled in the study if they failed to improve with conventional treatment, despite the development of side effects. Chorea was rated on a 0 to 4 score. Five patients, 3 of them women, were included in the study. The median pretreatment rating score of the chorea was 3 (range, 3-4) and dropped to 1 (range, 0-2) after a median follow-up of 7 months (range, 3-7 months). Two patients developed Cushing syndrome. Our data suggest that intravenous methyl-prednisolone followed by oral prednisone is an effective and well-tolerated treatment of refractory SC.
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Clinic, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. cardosof@metalink.com.br
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Débora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Mauro César Q S
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valença
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002819:Chorea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D008775:Methylprednisolone