Chorea minor: 1907-2007

Written by Tóth Gábor, Buda Botond

The summary given in 1907 by Karl Kleist (Über die psychischen Störungen bei der Chorea minor) made a great impact on the medical concept concerning the aetiology of the disease. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was considered as an age specific illness. The symptoms seemed to appear at a more and more juvenile age, suggesting to be a certain manifestation of the secular trend. By the 1950s, however, it was considered rather as a rheumatic disease with central nervous system manifestations than a psychiatric disorder. In our days it is believed to have a bacterial aetiology and, thanks to antibiotic and steroid treatment, it could be efficiently suppressed worldwide. Nowadays its significance is confined to the history of medical science.


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