Periodic Fever and Hyperimmunoglobulin D Syndrome in a Boy with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Group A [beta]-Hemolytic Streptococcus

The importance of the immune system in pediatric psychiatric disorders has been known since the 1990s. Swedo et al. (1998) have reported that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), tics, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as separation anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, and attention and concentration decits, are usually triggered by infections, and have reported a phenomenon known as pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).