title: Successful treatment of Sydenham's chorea with intravenous immunoglobulin.
abstract: We present a case of a 10-year-old girl diagnosed with Sydenham's chorea. Despite treatment with haloperidol and valproic acid for 2 weeks and antibiotics for 5 days, her symptoms continued to worsen. She became severely impaired in daily functioning, as she could barely speak or walk, experienced major feeding difficulties and required help with all daily activities. She was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Within 4 days, her symptoms started to improve and after 1-month she had fully recovered. This case reminds us that Sydenham's chorea can result in major functional impairment. There is some evidence on the beneficial effect of IVIG in the treatment of Sydenham's chorea, as is evident in our case. Therefore, IVIG should be considered as a treatment option in patients with severe chorea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nienke Anne
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schippers
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology & Infectious Disease, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Taco
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuijpers
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jojanneke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heidema
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002819:Chorea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D014635:Valproic Acid; D006220:Haloperidol
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