Rodríguez PJM, Díaz RYV, Paz TEM, Nápoles RD, Garcés RE

Language: Spanish
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ABSTRACT

Chorea derives from the Greek word meaning dance; it refers to involuntary arrhythmic movements of a forcible, rapid, jerky type. Typical choreic movements are the dominant features of Huntington disease, Sydenham chorea and of the variety of the disease associated with pregnancy (chorea gravidarum), it is asociated with Neuroleptics and other situations. Chorea may be limited to one side of the body (hemichorea). Hemichorea is uncommon in acute cerebrovascular disease. Its appearance is in relation to the contralateral involvement of the basal ganglia, particularly the striate ganglion.Two clinical cases were described: a 72- year- old female patient and a man of 67 years. In both patients the clinical features had an abrupt onset. Complementary studies showed lesions in the basal ganglion were found. The site was caudate nucleus in one case (woman) and thalamus in the other case (man). Both lesions were ischemic type, contralateral to the side of the affected body. The lesions were found in different parts of the extrapiramidal system, this fact supports the functional global network of the basal ganglio which may be interrupted at several points and lead to the same clinical findings.