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Bovenzi R, Conti M, Schirinzi T. Pharmacotherapy for Sydenham's chorea: where are we and where do we need to be? Expert Opin Pharmacother 2023; 24:1317-1329. [PMID: 37204415 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2023.2216380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sydenham's chorea (SC) is the most common cause of acquired chorea in children. The existing literature describes it as a benign, self-remitting condition. However, recent evidence discloses the persistence of long-course neuropsychiatric and cognitive complications in adulthood, which imposes to redefine the concept of 'benignity' of such condition. In addition, therapies are mostly empirical and non-evidence based. AREAS COVERED Here, we conducted an electronic exploration of the PubMed database and selected 165 relevant studies directly correlated to SC treatment. Critical data from selected articles were synthesized to provide an update on pharmacotherapy in SC, which basically consists of three pillars: antibiotic, symptomatic and immunomodulant treatments. Moreover, since SC mostly affects females with recurrences occurring in pregnancy (chorea gravidarum), we focused on the management in pregnancy. EXPERT OPINION SC is still a major burden in developing countries. The first therapeutic strategy should be the primary prevention of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection. Secondary antibiotic prophylaxis should be performed in every SC patient as the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend. Symptomatic or immunomodulant treatments are administered according to clinical judgment. However, a greater effort to understand SC physiopathology is needed, together with larger trials, to outline appropriate therapeutic indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bovenzi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Conti
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Tommaso Schirinzi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
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Orsini A, Foiadelli T, Sica A, Santangelo A, Carli N, Bonuccelli A, Consolini R, D’Elios S, Loddo N, Verrotti A, Di Cara G, Marra C, Califano M, Fetta A, Fabi M, Bergamoni S, Vignoli A, Battini R, Mosca M, Baldini C, Assanta N, Marchese P, Simonini G, Marrani E, Operto FF, Pastorino GMG, Savasta S, Santangelo G, Pedrinelli V, Massimetti G, Dell’Osso L, Peroni D, Cordelli DM, Corsi M, Carmassi C. Psychopathological Impact in Patients with History of Rheumatic Fever with or without Sydenham's Chorea: A Multicenter Prospective Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10586. [PMID: 36078300 PMCID: PMC9517806 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sydenham's chorea (SC) is a post-streptococcal autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system, and it is a major criterium for the diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF). SC typically improves in 12-15 weeks, but patients can be affected for years by persistence and recurrencies of both neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms. We enrolled 48 patients with a previous diagnosis of ARF, with or without SC, in a national multicenter prospective study, to evaluate the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms several years after SC's onset. Our population was divided in a SC group (n = 21), consisting of patients who had SC, and a nSC group (n = 27), consisting of patients who had ARF without SC. Both groups were evaluated by the administration of 8 different neuropsychiatric tests. The Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) showed significantly (p = 0.021) higher alterations in the SC group than in the nSC group. Furthermore, 60.4% (n = 29) of the overall population experienced neuropsychiatric symptoms other than choreic movements at diagnosis and this finding was significantly more common (p = 0.00) in SC patients (95.2%) than in nSC patients (33.3%). The other neuropsychiatric tests also produced significant results, indicating that SC can exert a strong psychopathological impact on patients even years after its onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Orsini
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Thomas Foiadelli
- Pediatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Attilio Sica
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Santangelo
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Niccolò Carli
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alice Bonuccelli
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Rita Consolini
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sofia D’Elios
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicolò Loddo
- Pediatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Alberto Verrotti
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Cara
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Chiara Marra
- Child Neurology Unit, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Califano
- Child Neurology Unit, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Fetta
- Child Neurology Unit, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marianna Fabi
- Child Neurology Unit, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania Bergamoni
- Childhood and Adolescence Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, ASST GOM Niguarda, 20121 Milan, Italy
| | - Aglaia Vignoli
- Childhood and Adolescence Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, ASST GOM Niguarda, 20121 Milan, Italy
- Health Sciences Department, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20121 Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Battini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Stella Maris, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marta Mosca
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Baldini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nadia Assanta
- Heart Hospital, G. Monasterio Tuscan Foundation, 54100 Massa, Italy
| | - Pietro Marchese
- Heart Hospital, G. Monasterio Tuscan Foundation, 54100 Massa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Simonini
- Pediatric Rheumatology, Meyer Children Hospital, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Edoardo Marrani
- Pediatric Rheumatology, Meyer Children Hospital, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Felicia Operto
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84084 Baronissi, Italy
| | - Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84084 Baronissi, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Santangelo
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, ISMEP—P.O. Cristina—ARNAS Civico, Via dei Benedettini 1, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Virginia Pedrinelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Massimetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Liliana Dell’Osso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Diego Peroni
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric University Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Martina Corsi
- Occupational Health Department, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56121 Pisa, Italy
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