Chorea as a manifestation of the antiphospholipid syndrome in childhood

Abstract

Chorea has been related to the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (a-PL) in the context of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we report the case of a 13-year-old girl with a-PL antibodies, who had developed thrombophlebitis at the age of 11 years and chorea two years later, in the absence of clinically evident SLE. Serological tests revealed a false positive test for syphilis, a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, hypocomplementaemia and positive anti-DNA antibodies.