Clinical Features Associated with PANDAS

Remission of symptoms and evidence of streptococcal infections were more likely in children with PANDAS than in those with OCD or tics but not PANDAS.

Researchers have postulated that poststreptococcal autoimmunity might underlie some cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorders. A possible model for this pathophysiology is Sydenham chorea, the neurological manifestation of acute rheumatic fever, which is caused by a host reaction to group A streptococcal infection. A disorder called PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) was described in 1998; it is characterized by OCD symptoms, tics, or both. Despite some studies showing antibodies to group A streptococci (and, in some cases, a recent diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis) in children with PANDAS, the concept of this disorder — and even whether it truly exist…

Reviewing Author

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease