Sydenham's chorea and TS

There's a reference in the Times today (12 Nov) to the well-known German playwright Berthold Brecht having had facial twitches and symptoms that sound like TS, but his condition is described as Sydenham's chorea, another neurological condition. Is this related to TS?

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Answer by jstern, Consultant Neurologist:

''Sydenham's chorea is now rare in Europe, but the mechanism is similar to PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infection). It's also known as St. Vitus's dance. Sydenham's is more common in girls, PANDAS in boys. Both are triggered by streptococcus, have antibodies against the basal ganglia, involuntary movements and neuropsychiatric features. About 25% of people with TS have the same antibodies too. Sometimes older people with tics were (wrongly) diagnosed as having Sydenham's as a child, even though it later was recognised as TS.''