What are the signs and symptoms of Chorea-acanthocytosis? Chorea-acanthocytosis affects movement in many parts of the body. Chorea refers to the involuntary jerking movements made by people with this disorder. People with this condition also have abnormal star-shaped red blood cells (acanthocytosis). Another common feature of chorea-acanthocytosis is involuntary tensing of various muscles (dystonia), such as those in the limbs, face, mouth, tongue, and throat. These muscle twitches can cause vocal tics (such as grunting), involuntary belching, and limb spasms. Eating can also be impaired as tongue and throat twitches can interfere with chewing and swallowing food. People with chorea-acanthocytosis may uncontrollably bite their tongue, lips, and inside of the mouth. Nearly half of all people with chorea-acanthocytosis have seizures. Individuals with chorea-acanthocytosis may develop difficulty processing, learning, and remembering information (cognitive impairment). They may also have reduced sensation and weakness in their arms and legs (peripheral neuropathy) and muscle weakness (myopathy). Impaired muscle and nerve functioning commonly cause speech difficulties, and can lead to an inability to speak. Behavioral changes are also a common feature of chorea-acanthocytosis and may be the first sign of this condition. These behavioral changes may include changes in personality, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), lack of self-restraint, and the inability to take care of oneself. The signs and symptoms of chorea-acanthocytosis usually begin in early to mid-adulthood. The movement problems of this condition worsen with age. Loss of cells (atrophy) in certain brain regions is the major cause of the neurological problems seen in people with chorea-acanthocytosis. The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Chorea-acanthocytosis. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Abnormality of erythrocytes 90% Incoordination 90% Muscular hypotonia 90% Neurological speech impairment 90% Pallor 90% Peripheral neuropathy 90% Abnormality of coagulation 50% Abnormality of the oral cavity 50% Abnormality of urine homeostasis 50% Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 50% Cerebral cortical atrophy 50% Chorea 50% Developmental regression 50% EMG abnormality 50% Gait disturbance 50% Memory impairment 50% Myopathy 50% Seizures 50% Skeletal muscle atrophy 50% Tremor 50% Ventriculomegaly 50% Abdominal pain 7.5% Abnormality of the thyroid gland 7.5% Acute hepatic failure 7.5% Ascites 7.5% Cataract 7.5% Dementia 7.5% Elevated hepatic transaminases 7.5% Hepatomegaly 7.5% Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 7.5% Lymphadenopathy 7.5% Malabsorption 7.5% Nausea and vomiting 7.5% Nystagmus 7.5% Recurrent respiratory infections 7.5% Self-injurious behavior 7.5% Short stature 7.5% Sleep disturbance 7.5% Splenomegaly 7.5% Vasculitis 7.5% Weight loss 7.5% Acanthocytosis - Aggressive behavior - Anxiety - Areflexia - Autosomal recessive inheritance - Caudate atrophy - Disinhibition - Drooling - Dysarthria - Dysphagia - Dystonia - Elevated serum creatine phosphokinase - Hyporeflexia - Limb muscle weakness - Mood changes - Orofacial dyskinesia - Parkinsonism - Personality changes - Pes cavus - Progressive - Progressive choreoathetosis - Psychosis - Self-mutilation of tongue and lips due to involuntary movements - Sensory neuropathy - Tics - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.