[Sydenham's chorea: report of a case treated with carbamazepine with excellent clinical response]

Sydenham's chorea is the most common cause of acquired chorea in childhood. This disorder is secondary to an autoimmune response against basal ganglia in the brain, induced by prior streptococcal infection. Chorea is a major criterion for the diagnosis of rheumatic fever and can also be the presenting feature of the disease. The incidence of rheumatic fever has been markedly decreased by improved socioeconomic conditions and increased antibiotic prescription. In the last two decades, however, this disease has reappeared and should be taken into account in the evaluation of children with movement disorders. Chorea is characterized by acute exacerbations that can cause substantial functional impairment and may warrant drug treatment. Carbamazepine has proven to be both efficacious and safe in the treatment of this condition. We present a case of rheumatic chorea, in which carbamazepine therapy produced excellent clinical response.