Clinical Features Associated with 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…