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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:327-328 doi:10.1136/jnnp.2003.019851
  • Short report

Oral contraceptive induced chorea: another condition associated with anti-basal ganglia antibodies

  1. M Miranda1,
  2. F Cardoso2,
  3. G Giovannoni3,
  4. A Church3
  1. 1Department of Neurology, University of Chile, Chile
  2. 2Department of Neurology, The Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
  3. 3Department of Neuroinflammation, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr M Miranda
 Department of Neurology, University of Chile, Llewellyn Jones 1530, Suite 201, Santiago, Chile; e-mail: marcelomirandaterra.cl
  • Received 28 May 2003
  • Accepted 21 July 2003

Abstract

Use of oral contraceptives is a recognised but infrequent cause of chorea. This type of chorea has usually been considered a reactivation of Sydenham’s chorea by an unknown mechanism. A patient developed a chorea triggered by the use of oral contraceptives with no definite evidence of previous Sydenham’s chorea or recent streptoccocal infections. However, the patient had positive anti-basal ganglia antibodies, which supports an immunological basis for the pathophysiology of this chorea.

Footnotes

  • Competing interest: none declared

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