Paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric syndrome in recurrent acute bacterial pharyngitis – a case report

Abstract

Pharyngitis and tonsillitis, regardless of their aetiology, are one of the most frequent reasons for visiting a family doctor or a paediatrician. Nearly 85% of pharyngitis cases are viral. It is estimated that bacterial throat infection occurs in 15% of schoolage children and in 4–10% of adult patients. Streptococcus pyogenes is the most common cause of bacterial pharyngitis. PANDAS stands for paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. The term is used to describe a subgroup of children and adolescents who develop acute obsessive-compulsive disorder or tics as a result of group A streptococcal infection, such as tonsillitis. The aim of the paper is to describe a case of a 4-year-old boy who presented to the Laryngology Clinic due to recurrent tonsillitis, time-correlated with obsessive-compulsive disorder.