Recommended Medical Investigations in Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome

Does the comprehensive set of laboratory investigations recommended for children with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) differentiate them from children with idiopathic obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorders, and do these investigations help identify underlying somatic conditions?In this case-control study of 51 children with PANS and a control group of 58 children with idiopathic OCD and/or tic disorders, nonspecific abnormal laboratory findings were common in both groups, with no between-group differences. The full set of medical investigations recommended for PANS failed to identify underlying somatic conditions in nearly all children with PANS.These findings question the clinical utility of the comprehensive medical investigations currently recommended for suspected PANS.

Corresponding Author: Sara Vasiljevic, MSc, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Gävlegatan 22 (Entré B), Floor 8, SE-11330 Stockholm, Sweden (sara.vasiljevic@ki.se).

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