How common is chorea?

How common is chorea?

No one knows for sure how many people experience chorea. Chorea is usually a symptom of another disorder. About 30,000 people in the United States have Huntington’s disease (a genetic condition that causes chorea). Doctors estimate another 200,000 people have a risk of developing Huntington’s disease because their parents have the genetic condition. Chorea is the most common symptom of Huntington’s disease.

In the United States, about 4,000 kids a year develop Sydenham chorea after having rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is a serious complication of untreated strep throat. Girls are more likely than boys to get rheumatic fever. It usually occurs between 5 and 15 years of age.