Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infections

Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) is a putative neuropsychiatric disorder with a hypothesized autoimmune etiology, characterized by the acute onset of severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or tic disorders. The theory of postinfectious autoimmunity as a pathogenic mechanism in OCD originated in the 1990s and has important implications for the clinical course and treatment of the disorder. This entry describes the PANDAS patient population as a unique subset of OCD and tic disorder patients, delineates the disorder’s diagnostic criteria, and reviews relevant research on the autoimmune etiopathogenesis of PANDAS.