Chorea disclosing a polycythemia vera

Figures & data

Table 1 Common causes of chorea in the elderly

Vascular: infarction; hemorrhage; arteriovenous malformation; Moyamoya disease; polycythemia vera

Hereditary: Huntington’s disease; spinocerebellar ataxia 1–3; pseudohypoparathyroidism; pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism; dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy; Fahr’s disease

Autoimmune: systemic lupus erythematosus; polyarteritis nodosa; Behcet’s disease; Sjögren’s syndrome; Sydenham’s chorea; antiphospholipid syndrome; multiple sclerosis; celiac disease

Metabolic: hyperthyroidism; hypocalcemia (hypoparathyroidism); hypoglycemia; hyperglycemia; hypernatremia; hyponatremia; renal failure; thiamine deficiency; niacin deficiency; hepatocerebral degeneration

Drug induced neuroleptics: antiparkinsonian drugs; neuroleptic drugs; oral contraceptives; anticonvulsant drugs (phenytoin, phenobarbitone, ethosuximide, carbamazepine, valproate); steroids; opiates; tricyclic antidepressants; lithium; digoxin; cocaine

Toxins: alcohol (intoxication and withdrawal); carbon monoxide; manganese; mercury; thallium; post-anoxia

Infectious: Sydenham’s chorea; encephalitis lethargica; various other infectious and postinfectious encephalitis

Neoplasia: basal ganglia involvement; paraneoplastic syndrome

Other: senile chorea