PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Penaranda, Eribeth
AU  - Garcia, Angel
AU  - Montgomery, Lisa
TI  - It wasn’t Witchcraft—It was Huntington Disease!
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2011.01.100145
DP  - 2011 Jan 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
PG  - 115--116
VI  - 24
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/24/1/115.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/24/1/115.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2011 Jan 01; 24
AB  - Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant, incurable, progressive disorder that manifests with chorea and behavioral and cognitive impairment. The disease usually occurs during the fourth or fifth decade of life; however, it may present at any age. Clinical suspicion is confirmed by genetic testing. Death occurs, on average, 15 to 20 years after the onset of symptoms. Here we report about a Hispanic woman and her family who were affected by the disease; this case illustrates the role of cultural values and beliefs in the decision-making process, as well as the importance of the physician's cultural competency in fostering a trusting relationship that may lessen the burden of catastrophic diseases on individuals, families, and society at-large.