O’Dor SL, Kuhn AJ, Williams KA, et al. Diagnosing and treating pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2024;26(3):23f03662. May 23, 2024. https://doi.org/10.4088/PCC.23f03662
- Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) is a disorder of acute onset with obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or tics in children following a group A streptococcal infection, often with other behavioral or cognitive symptoms, including irritability and separation anxiety.
- Symptoms of PANDAS overlap with those of many psychiatric and medical conditions; most children experience a relapsing and remitting course, and some have persistent difficulties that last through childhood and into their adolescence.
- Since PANDAS is a diagnosis of exclusion, a thorough psychiatric and medical evaluation is necessary to make the correct diagnosis and institute appropriate treatment.
- Treatment of PANDAS should involve a 3-pronged approach: psychiatric/behavioral treatment, immunomodulatory therapies, and antimicrobial treatment.
Gabriella True
