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Case Reports
. 2021 Jan 1;18(1-3):17-20.
eCollection 2021 Jan-Mar.

Catatonia in a 6-year-old Patient Following Disseminated Group A Streptococcus Infection

Philip B Cawkwell  1 , Ivan Daniel Mayor  1 , Richard J Shaw  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Catatonia in a 6-year-old Patient Following Disseminated Group A Streptococcus Infection

Philip B Cawkwell et al. Innov Clin Neurosci. .

Abstract

Pediatric catatonia is a complex entity that is easily missed in the hospital setting and seldom reported in the literature. Here, we present the case of a 6-year-old previously healthy female patient who was initially thought to have intractable delirium secondary to disseminated Group A streptococcus (GAS) infection. Careful examination, utilization of the Pediatric Catatonia Rating Scale, and lorazepam challenge were key to elucidating the diagnosis. While GAS is most often associated with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) in the child and adolescent population, we reviewed the limited literature to suggest a mechanism by which it can lead to catatonia. Further systematic study of catatonia in the pediatric population is warranted to better understand pathogenesis and long-term neuropsychiatric outcomes.

Keywords: Catatonia; Group A streptococcus; neuropsychiatry; pediatric catatonia.

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Conflict of interest statement

FUNDING:No funding was provided for this study. DISCLOSURES:The author has no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this article.

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