Sydenham’s chorea
The first ever prospective surveillance of Sydenham's chorea in the UK and Ireland commenced in November 2018 and ran for two years. This study was undertaken in collaboration with the Exeter Medical School and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System. The study aims to examine the service related incidence of SC, characterise clinical presentation and outcomes and report on current practice in investigation and management.
Overview
Sydenham’s chorea (SC) is a neurological disorder of childhood resulting from infection via Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS), the bacterium that causes rheumatic fever. SC is characterised by rapid, irregular, and aimless involuntary movements of the arms and legs, trunk and facial muscles.
Some children will have a sore throat several weeks before the symptoms begin, but the disorder can also strike up to 6 months after the fever or infection has cleared. Symptoms can appear gradually or all at once, and also may include uncoordinated movements, muscular weakness, stumbling and falling, slurred speech, difficulty concentrating and writing and emotional instability.
SC is a potentially severe illness with widespread impact which can affect functioning at home and at school. At the peak of their illness, children may become entirely dependent on their families. Reports suggest that the disorder is often not recognised promptly by professionals, perhaps due to a widespread belief that it is no longer seen in developed countries, but little is known about the current pattern of the disorder.
This study will help to fill this gap in scientific knowledge, and will be the first such study performed on this condition in the UK and ROI. It will raise awareness of the condition and report on current clinical practice in terms of how such cases are investigated and managed. Data on outcomes will also help clinicians give the most accurate information to families about what to expect.
Investigators
Dr Tamsin Newlove-Delgado
Exeter Medical School
College House
St Luke’s Campus
Exeter EX2 2LU
Email: t.newlove-delgado@exeter.ac.uk
Duration
November 2018 – December 2020