Choreoathetotic movement disorder in alcoholism.

A syndrome of choreoathetosis in association with alcoholism has been found in 12 patients. It appeared to occur more often in women, was transient, and may have been associated with alcohol withdrawal. It was not associated with gross liver disease, phenothiazine administration, or familial chorea, and no consistent abnormalities in whole blood thiamine or nicotinic acid, in serum magnesium, or in serum vitamin B(12) levels were present.