chorea (ko-re'ah)

Syn.: St. Vitus's dance, infectious myoclonia. A subacute disease characterized by irregular jerkings and incoordinate movements in diverse groups of muscles. The disease forms about one-fifth of the nervous diseases of children. The term chorea is often incorrectly applied to spasmodic tic, including mental, habit, hysterical, local, general, and endermic tics. c. insaniens. Severe c. in which attacks of mental excitement and even delirium come on for several succe ive nights. c. scrip to rum. C. in old Writers' men. electric cramp.c. c. is asenilis. name sometimes wrongly given to very violent forms of Sydenham's c. epidemic c. A neurosis prevalent in various parts of Europe in the 14th century as a manifestation of intense religious emotion; manifested by an uncontrollable desire to dance. Huntington's c. See under Huntington, major c. C. with violent action of the muscles; not a disease, in itself. maniacal c. C. insaniens. [Gr., choreia, a dance.]