REVERSIBLE DEMENTIA AND CHOREA IN A YOUNG WOMAN WITH THE LUPUS ANTICOAGULANT

A 22-year-old woman gradually developed depression, dementia, and chor ea over an 8-month period. She fulfilled the criteria for the primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome but not those for systemic lupus er ythematosus. Her chorea and neurobehavioral deficits responded favorab ly to a regimen of prednisone, hydroxychloroquine, and aspirin. This a ppears to be the first report of a patient with a lupus anticoagulant and reversible dementia. The response to immunosuppressive therapy imp lies an antibody-mediated condition similar to Sydenham's chorea.