Complications of cardiac surgery - post pump chorea

Post-pump chorea is a relatively common complication of cardiac surgery in childhood (0.6-3%). If it develops in adulthood, it is often permanent and less responsive to treatment. We report a case of a 47-year-old woman who developed chorea in all limbs 15 days after cardiac surgery (thrombectomy of a prosthetic aortic valve, reoperation 12 years after Bentall operation for type A aortic dissection). Symptomatic treatment with haloperidol led to amelioration of involuntary movements. This case illustrates both the rare occurrence of post-pump chorea in adulthood and the follow-up of this patient for 8 years.