should you tell young mother shE has signs of huntingtons chorea?
18 May 06 Three GPs share their approach to a practice problem case history A 38 year-old-patient lost her father to Huntington’s chorea, having developed symptoms in his late 40s. She has recently brought her two young children to surgery a couple of times and has been observed having peri oral choreaform movements. However, she has never presented herself with any such problems directly. The dilemma is that although she is aware of the inheritability of the disease, she has never been screened, presumably out of choice. Given the probability that she is in the early stages of HC, what should be done? There seems to be a lack of information about this patient except her family history. I assume that since I am the GP to the children then I am the GP to the mother. However I would double-check the surgery computer, confirm that mum is indeed registered with me and read both the paper and electronic records. Assuming she was my patient, I would recall her for a check-up. I would ask her
