CHOREIFORM MOVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF VALPROATE

Objective: To describe the association of choreiform movements with th e use of valproic acid. Design: Case series. Patients: Three patients who developed chorea during longterm treatment with valproic acid. All patients had severe brain damage; one had a preexisting unilateral va scular lesion in the caudate nucleus. At the time chorea developed, tw o patients were also receiving phenytoin sodium. Results: Chorea devel oped between 30 minutes and 3 hours after ingestion of valproic acid, and the duration of the episodes varied between 30 minutes and 8 hours . The episodes of chorea occurred frequently for several days followed by asymptomatic periods lasting several weeks. Choreic movements invo lved the head, mouth, tongue, trunk, and limbs bilaterally in two case s and con