Blood films in the investigation of chorea

In our department at James Cook University Hospital, which serves a patient population of approximately 1.2 million, we reviewed case notes from January 2000 to June 2006, and identified eight patients aged between 20 and 60 years without a diagnosis, and with at least four of the hallmark features of neuroacanthocytosis (chorea, facial hyperkinesias, dysarthria, dystonia, psychopathology, cognitive change, areflexia, raised creatine kinase), but negative Huntington's disease genetics.