{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T21:02:09Z","timestamp":1791925329692,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,19]],"date-time":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1702944000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background. Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) syndrome is a rare pediatric disorder consisting of a sudden onset of obsessive\u2013compulsive disorder (OCD) and\/or tics after a group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection. Methods. In the period between 2013 and 2023, 61 children presented to our Pediatric Rheumatology unit with a suspicion of PANDAS syndrome. Among these, a retrospective analysis was conducted, and 19 fulfilled the current classification criteria and were included in this study. Results. The male-to-female ratio was 14:5, the median age at onset was 7.0 (2.0\u20139.5) years, and the median age at diagnosis was 8.0 (3.0\u201310.4) years. The median follow-up period was 16.0 (6.0\u201372.0) months. Family and personal history were relevant in 7\/19 and 6\/19 patients. Tics were present in all patients. Details for motor tics were retrospectively available in 18\/19 patients, with the eyes (11\/18) and neck\/head (10\/18) being most often involved. Vocal tics were documented in 8\/19, behavioral changes in 10\/19, and OCD in 2\/19. Regarding the therapeutic response, all patients responded to amoxicillin, 12\/13 to benzathine benzylpenicillin, and 7\/9 to azithromycin. Conclusions. Our findings partially overlap with previous reports. Larger prospective studies are needed to improve treatment strategies and classification criteria.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms12010008","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,20]],"date-time":"2023-12-20T03:51:45Z","timestamp":1703044305000},"page":"8","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) Syndrome: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study in an Italian Centre of Pediatric Rheumatology"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1244-0789","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Saverio","family":"La Bella","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6513-3160","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"Attanasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Armando","family":"Di Ludovico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanna","family":"Scorrano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3911-1256","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Mainieri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Ciarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Federico","family":"Lauriola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luisa","family":"Silvestrini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Virginia","family":"Girlando","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Chiarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luciana","family":"Breda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cG. D\u2019Annunzio\u201d University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2007-0484","article-title":"Burden and Economic Cost of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis","volume":"121","author":"Pfoh","year":"2008","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e86","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/cis629","article-title":"Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis: 2012 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America","volume":"55","author":"Shulman","year":"2012","journal-title":"Clin. Infect. 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