Abstract
Benign hereditary chorea (BHC) is a rare autosomal dominant condition, characterized by nonprogressive chorea with neither significant intellectual impairment nor caudate atrophy. It was first described almost 50 years ago. Genetic testing is available since the last decade, leading physicians to classify adequately patients and separate them from other similar conditions, mainly Huntington disease and myoclonus-dystonia, which have a different prognosis and treatment. Associated clinical features have become broader every day, and molecular testing confirms accurately the diagnosis. Different grades of affection in the thyroid gland, lung, and brain are associated with mutations on the TITF-1 gene at chromosome 14q. Nowadays, less than 50 families have been reported and reviewed with typical or atypical symptoms. Since BHC is a nonprogressive condition and some patients respond favorably to some drugs, it is important to characterize it correctly in order to offer the best treatment options and give the right prognosis to the affected subject and relatives.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Haerer AF, Currier RD, Jackson JF. Hereditary nonprogressive chorea of early onset. N Engl J Med. 1967;276:1220–4.
Pincus JH, Chutorian A. Familial benign chorea with intention a clinical entity. J Pediatr. 1967;70:724–9.
Burns J, Neuhäuser G, Tomasi L. Benign hereditary non-progressive chorea of early onset. Clinical genetics of the syndrome and report of a new family. Neuropadiatrie. 1976;7:431–8.
Sleigh G, Lindenbaum RH. Benign (non-paroxysmal) familial chorea. Paediatric perspectives. Arch Dis Child. 1981;56:616–21.
Schrag A, Quinn NP, Bhatia KP, Marsden CD. Benign hereditary chorea—entity or syndrome? Mov Disord. 2000;15:280–8.
De Vries BBA, Arts WFM, Breedveld GJ, Hoogeboom JJM, Niermeijer MF, Heutink P. Benign hereditary chorea of early onset maps to chromosome 14q. Am J Hum Genet. 2000;66:136–42.
Willemsen MA, Breedveld GJ, Wouda M, Otten BJ, Yntema JL, Lammens M, et al. Brain-Thyroid-Lung syndrome: a patient with a severe multi-system disorder due to a de novo mutation in the thyroid transcription factor 1 gene. Eur J Pediatr. 2005;164:28–30.
Asmus F, Devlin A, Munz M, Zimprich A, Gasser T, Chinnery PF. Clinical differentiation of genetically proven benign hereditary chorea and myoclonus-dystonia. Mov Disord. 2007;22:2104–9.
Breedveld GJ, Percy AK, MacDonald ME, de Vries BBA, Yapijakis C, Dure LS, et al. Clinical and genetic heterogeneity in benign hereditary chorea. Neurology. 2002;59:579–84.
Salvado M, Boronat-Guerrero S, Hernández-Vara J, Álvarez-Sabin J. Chorea due to TITF1/NKX2-1 mutation: phenotypical description and therapeutic response in a family. Rev Neurol. 2013;56:515–20.
Kleiner-Fisman G, Lang AE. Benign hereditary chorea revisited: a journey to understanding. Mov Disord. 2007;22:2297–305.
Fernández M, Raskind W, Matsushita M, Wolff J, Lipe H, Bird T. Hereditary benign chorea, clinical and genetic features of a distinct disease. Neurology. 2001;57:106–10.
Do Carmo Costa M, Costa C, Silva AP, Evangelista P, Santos L, Ferro A, et al. Nonsense mutation in TITF1 in a Portuguese family with benign hereditary chorea. Neurogenetics. 2005;6:209–15.
Carre A, Szinnai G, Castanet M, Sura-Trueba S, Tron E, Broutin-L’Hermite I, et al. Five new TTF1/NKX2.1 mutations in brain lung–thyroid syndrome: rescue by PAX8 synergism in one case. Hum Mol Genet. 2009;18:2266–76.
Gras D, Jonard L, Roze E, Chantot-Bastaraud S, Koht J, Motte J, et al. Benign hereditary chorea: phenotype, prognosis, therapeutic outcome and long term follow-up in a large series with new mutations in the TITF-1/NKX2-1 gene. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2012;83:956–62.
Bird TD, Carlson CB, Hall JG. Familial essential (‘benign’) chorea. J Med Genet. 1976;13:357–62.
Leli DA, Furlow Jr TW, Falgout JC. Benign familial chorea: an association with intellectual impairment. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1984;47:471–4.
Breedveld GJ, van Dongen JWF, Danesino C, Guala A, Percy AK, Dure LS, et al. Mutations in TITF-1 are associated with benign hereditary chorea. Hum Mol Genet. 2002;11:971–9.
Krude H, Schütz B, Bierbermann H, von Moers A, Schnabel D, Neitzel H, et al. Choreoathetosis, hypothyroidism, and pulmonary alterations due to NKX2.1 haploinsufficiency. J Clin Invest. 2002;109:475–80.
Armstrong MJ, Shah BB, Chen B, Angel MJ, Lang AE. Expanding the phenomenology of benign hereditary chorea: evolution from chorea to myoclonus and dystonia. Mov Disord. 2011;26:2296–7.
Asmus F, Horber V, Pohlenz J, Schwabe D, Zimprich A, Munz M, et al. A novel TITF-1 mutation causes benign hereditary chorea with response to levodopa. Neurology. 2005;64:1952–4.
Asmus F, Langseth A, Doherthy E, Nestor T, Munz M, Gasser T, et al. ‘Jerky” dystonia in children: spectrum of phenotypes and genetic testing. Mov Disord. 2009;24:702–9.
Devos D, Vuillaume I, de Becdelievre A, de Martinville B, Dhaenens CM, Cuvellier JC, et al. New syndromic form of benign hereditary chorea is associated with a deletion of TITF-1 and PAX-9 contiguous genes. Mov Disord. 2006;21:2237–40.
Doyle DA, González I, Thomas B, Scavina M. Autosomal dominant transmission of congenital hypothyroidism, neonatal respiratory distress, and ataxia caused by a mutation of NKX2-1. J Pediatr. 2004;145:190–3.
Ferrara AM, Da Michele G, Salvatore E, Di Maio L, Zampella E, Capuano S, et al. A novel NKX2.1 mutation in a family with hypothyroidism and benign hereditary chorea. Thyroid. 2008;18:1005–9.
Ferrara JM, Adam OR, Kirwin SM, Houghton DJ, Shepherd C, Vinette KMB, et al. Brain-lung-thyroid disease: clinical features of a kindred with a novel thyroid transcription factor 1 mutation. J Child Neurol. 2012;27:68–73.
Glik A, Vuillaume I, Devos D, Inzelberg R. Psychosis, short-stature in benign hereditary chorea: a novel thyroid transcription factor-1 mutation. Mov Disord. 2008;23:1744–7.
Guala A, Falco V, Breedveld G, De Filippi P, Danesino C. Deletion of PAX9 and oligodontia: a third family and review of the literature. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2008;18:441–5.
Mahajnah M, Inbar D, Steinmetz A, Heutink P, Breedveld GJ, Straussberg R. Benign hereditary chorea: clinical, neuroimaging, and genetic findings. J Child Neurol. 2007;22:1231–4.
Maquet E, Costagliola S, Parma J, Christophe-Hobertus C, Oligny LL, Fournet JC, et al. Lethal respiratory failure and mild primary hypothyroidism in a term girl with a de novo heterozygous mutation in the TITF1/NKX2.1 gene. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94:197–203.
Nakamura K, Sekijima Y, Nagamatsu K, Yoshida K, Ikeda S. A novel nonsense mutation in the TITF-1 gene in a Japanese family with benign hereditary chorea. J Neurol Sci. 2012;313:189–92.
Nettore IC, Mirra P, Ferrara AM, Sibilio A, Pagliara V, Kay SC, et al. Identification and functional characterization of a novel mutation in the NKX2-1 gene: comparison with the data in the literature. Thyroid. 2013;23:675–82.
Ngan ESW, Lang BHH, Liu T, Shum CK, So MT, Lau DK, et al. A germline mutation (A339V) in thyroid transcription factor-1 (TITF-1/NKX2.1) in patients with multinodular goiter and papillary thyroid carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101:162–75.
Pohlenz J, Dumitrescu A, Zundeol D, Martiné U, Schönberger W, Koo E, et al. Partial deficiency of thyroid transcription factor 1 produces predominantly neurological defects in humans and mice. J Clin Invest. 2002;109:469–73.
Provenzano C, Veneziano L, Appleton R, Frontali M, Civitareale D. Functional characterization of a novel mutation in TITF-1 in a patient with benign hereditary chorea. J Neurol Sci. 2008;264:56–62.
Salvatore E, Di Maio L, Filla A, Ferrara AM, Rinaldi C, Saccà F, et al. Benign hereditary chorea: clinical and neuroimaging features in an Italian family. Mov Disord. 2010;25:1491–6.
Sempere AP, Aparicio S, Mola S, Pérez-Tur J. Benign hereditary chorea: clinical features and long-term follow-up in a Spanish family. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2013;19:394–6.
Teissier R, Guillot L, Carré A, Morandini M, Stuckens C, Ythier H, et al. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification improves the detection rate of NKX2.1 mutations in patients affected by brain-lung-thyroid syndrome. Horm Res Paediatr. 2012;77:146–51.
Van den Akker WMR, Brox A, Puelles L, Durston AJ, Medina L. Comparative functional analysis provides evidence for a crucial role for the homeobox gene Nkx2.1/Titf-1 in forebrain evolution. J Comp Neurol. 2008;506:211–23.
Ghaffari M, Zeng X, Whitsett JA, Yan C. Nuclear localization domain of thyroid transcription factor-1 in respiratory epithelial cells. Biochem J. 1997;328:757–61.
Kawano H, Horie M, Honma S, Kawamura K, Takeuchi K, Kimura S. Aberrant trajectory of ascending dopaminergic pathway in mice lacking Nkx2.1. Exp Neurol. 2003;182:103–12.
Sussel L, Marin O, Kimura S, Rubenstein JL. Loss of Nkx2.1 homeobox gene function results in a ventral to dorsal molecular respecification within the basal telencephalon: evidence for a transformation of the pallidum into the striatum. Development. 1999;126:3359–70.
Konishi T, Kono S, Fujimoto M, Terada T, Matsushita K, Ouchi Y, et al. Benign hereditary chorea: dopaminergic brain imaging in patients with a novel intronic NKX2.1 gene mutation. J Neurol. 2013;260:207–13.
Suchowersky O, Hayden MR, Martin WRW, Stoessl AJ, Hildebrand AM, Pate BD. Cerebral metabolism of glucose in benign hereditary chorea. Mov Disord. 1986;1:33–44.
Maccabelli G, Pichiecchio A, Guala A, Ponzio M, Palesi F, Maranzana Rt D, et al. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging in benign hereditary chorea: study of two familial cases. Mov Disord. 2010;25:2670–4.
Kleiner-Fisman G, Calingasan NY, Putt M, Chen J, Beal MF, Lang AE. Alterations of striatal neurons in benign hereditary chorea. Mov Disord. 2005;20:1353–7.
Kleiner-Fisman G, Rogaeva E, Halliday W, Houle S, Kawarai T, Sato C, et al. Benign hereditary chorea: clinical, genetic and pathological findings. Ann Neurol. 2003;54:244–7.
Cantara S, Capuano S, Formichi C, Pisu M, Capezzone M, Pacini F. Lack of germline A339V mutation in thyroid transcription factor-1 (TITF-1/NKX2.1) gene in familial papillary thyroid cancer. Thyroid Res. 2010;3:1–4.
Kwei KA, Kim YH, Girard L, Kao J, Pacyna-Gengelbach M, Salari K, et al. Genomic profiling identifies TITF1 as a lineage- specific oncogene amplified in lung cancer. Oncogene. 2008;27:3635–40.
Tang X, Kadara H, Behrens C, Liu DD, Xiao Y, Rice D, et al. Abnormalities of the TITF-1 lineage-specific oncogene in NSCLC: implications in lung cancer pathogenesis and prognosis. Clin Cancer Res. 2011;17:2434–43.
Kurlan R, Behr J, Shoulson I. Hereditary myoclonus and chorea: the spectrum of hereditary nonprogressive hyperkinetic movement disorders. Mov Disord. 1987;2:301–6.
Nardocci N. Myoclonus-dystonia syndrome. Handb Clin Neurol. 2011;100:563–75.
Shimohata T, Hara K, Sanpei K, Nunomura J, Maeda T, Kawachi I, et al. Novel locus for benign hereditary chorea with adult onset maps to chromosome 8q21.3-q23.3. Brain. 2007;130:2302–9.
Bordelon YM. Clinical neurogenetics Huntington disease. Neurol Clin. 2013;31:1085–94.
MacMillan JC, Morrison PJ, Nervin NC, Shaw DJ, Harper PS, Quarrell OW, et al. Identification of an expanded CAG repeat in the Huntington’s disease gene (IT15) in a family reported to have benign hereditary chorea. J Med Genet. 1993;30:1012–3.
Britton JW, Uitti RJ, Ahlskog JE, Robinson RG, Kremer B, Hayden MR. Hereditary late-onset chorea without significant dementia: genetic evidence for substantial phenotypic variation in Huntington’s disease. Neurology. 1995;45:443–7.
Kremer B, Goldberg P, Andrew SE, Theilmann J, Telenius H, Zeisler J, et al. A worldwide study of the Huntington’s disease mutation, the sensitivity and specificity of measuring CAG repeats. N Engl J Med. 1994;330:1401–6.
Margolis RL, O’Hearn E, Rosenblatt A, Willour V, Holmes SE, Franz ML, et al. A disorder similar to Huntington’s disease is associated with a novel CAG repeat expansion. Ann Neurol. 2001;50:373–80.
Bardien S, Abrahams F, Soodyall H, van der Merwe L, Greenberg J, Brink T, et al. A South African mixed ancestry family with Huntington disease-like 2: clinical and genetic features. Mov Disord. 2007;22:2083–9.
Walker RH, Jung HH, Danek A. Neuroacanthocytosis. Handb Clin Neurol. 2011;100:141–51.
Schneider SA, Bhatia KP. Huntington’s disease look-alikes. Handb Clin Neurol. 2011;100:101–12.
Wardle M, Morris HR, Robertson NP. Clinical and genetic characteristics of non-Asian dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy: a systematic review. Mov Disord. 2009;24:1636–40.
Rajput A. Dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy. Handb Clin Neurol. 2011;100:153–9.
Tsuji S. Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy. Handb Clin Neurol. 2012;103:587–94.
Van Gaalen J, Giunti P, van de Warrenburg BP. Movement disorders in spinocerebellar ataxias. Mov Disord. 2011;26:792–800.
Nutting PA, Cole BR, Schimke RN. Benign, recessively choreo-athetosis of early onset. J Med Genet. 1969;6:408–10.
Ichiba M, Nakamura M, Kusumoto A, Mizuno E, Kurano Y, Matsuda M, et al. Clinical and molecular genetic assessment of a chorea-acanthocytosis pedigree. J Neurol Sci. 2007;263:124–32.
Jung HH, Danek A, Walker RH. Neuroacanthocytosis syndromes. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2011;6:68–77.
Sokolov E, Schneider SA, Bain PG. Chorea-acanthocytosis. Pract Neurol. 2012;12:40–3.
Verhagen MMM, Abdo WF, Willemsen MAAP, Hogervorst FB, Smeets DF, Hiel JA, et al. Clinical spectrum of ataxia-telangiectasia in adulthood. Neurology. 2009;73:430–7.
Charlesworth G, Mohire MD, Schneider SA, Stamelou M, Wood NW, Bhatia KP. Ataxia telangiectasia presenting as dopa-responsive cervical dystonia. Neurology. 2013;81:1148–51.
Nissenkorn A, Hassin-Baer S, Lerman SF, Levi YB, Tzadok M, Ben-Zeev B. Movement disorder in ataxia telangiectasia: treatment with amantadine sulphate. J Child Neurol. 2013;28:155–60.
Klein C, Wenning GK, Quinn NP, Marsden CD. Ataxia without telangiectasia masquerading as benign hereditary chorea. Mov Disord. 1996;11:217–20.
Wilson DC, Phillips MJ, Cox DW, Roberts EA. Severe hepatic Wilson’s disease in preschool-aged children. J Pediatr. 2000;137:719–22.
Czlonkowska A, Rodo M, Gromadzka G. Late onset Wilson’s disease: therapeutic implications. Mov Disord. 2008;23:896–8.
Mihaylova V, Todorov T, Helev H, Kotsev I, Angelova L, Kosseva O, et al. Neurological symptoms, genotype-phenotype correlations and ethnic-specific differences in Bulgarian patients with Wilson disease. Neurologist. 2012;18:184–9.
Seo JK. Diagnosis of Wilson disease in young children: molecular genetic testing and a paradigm shift from the laboratory diagnosis. Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr. 2012;15:197–209.
Pavone P, Parano E, Rizzo R, Trifiletti RR. Topical review: autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection: Sydenham chorea, PANDAS, and PANDAS variants. J Child Neurol. 2006;21:727–36.
Cardoso F. Sydenham’s chorea. Handb Clin Neurol. 2011;100:221–9.
Suggested Reading
Inzelberg R, Weinberger M, Gak E. Benign hereditary chorea: an update. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2011;17:301–7.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer-Verlag London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zúñiga-Ramírez, C., González-Usigli, H.A. (2014). Benign Hereditary Chorea. In: Micheli, F., LeWitt, P. (eds) Chorea. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6455-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6455-5_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-6454-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-6455-5
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)