Sydenham's chorea: risk factors and the role of prophylactic benzathine penicillin G in preventing recurrence

To determine the effect of prophylactic long-acting penicillin G in prevent ing recurrence of Sydenham's chorea and to discover the risk factors associ ated with occurrence of symptoms, 18 children with symptoms over a 5-year p eriod were prospectively identified. Of these, ten were boys and eight were girls. The majority occurred between the ages of 8 and 10 years [mean (SD) 9.10 (2.62) years]. Sydenham's chorea was generalized in 14 children and o ne-sided in four. There was no difference in the incidence of right- and le ft-sided hemichorea. Among the risk factors examined, only a history of cho rea in relatives had a significant association with the occurrence of Syden ham's chorea (OR = 6.39; 95% CI 1.30-31.3). A comparison of recurrence betw een those given prophylactic long-acting penicillin G and those who had non e showed a statistically significant difference in the recurrence experienc e between the two groups (p < 0.02).