Chorea, kaw REE uh, is any of a number of disorders characterized by brief, rapid, uncoordinated movements. The word is often used to mean acute chorea, a condition associated with rheumatic fever (see Rheumatic fever). Acute chorea was formerly called St. Vitus's dance. Chorea occurs most commonly in children between the ages of 7 and 15 years. Doctors do not know exactly what causes chorea, and there are no specific laboratory tests to diagnose it. The infectious agent may be in the patient's body for weeks or months before symptoms of chorea develop.