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Case Reports
. 1997 Aug;36(8):1128-33.
doi: 10.1097/00004583-199708000-00021.

Case study: an infection-triggered, autoimmune subtype of anorexia nervosa

M S Sokol  1 , N S Gray
Affiliations
Case Reports

Case study: an infection-triggered, autoimmune subtype of anorexia nervosa

M S Sokol et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: Certain cases of anorexia nervosa (AN) may be similar to the recently described subtype of childhood-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder hypothesized to be one of the pediatric infection-triggered autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders (PITANDs).

Method: Three clinical cases are reported. The first patient is a 12-year-old boy whose AN worsened acutely after a group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection. His symptoms were alleviated after antibiotic treatment. Two other patients with possible PITANDs-related AN are described.

Results: An infection-triggered process may contribute to the pathogenesis of a subtype of AN.

Conclusions: Future research is needed to explore the nature of PITANDs and their relationship with AN.

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Comment in

  • Anorexia, OCD, and streptococcus.
    Henry MC, Perlmutter SJ, Swedo SE. Henry MC, et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999 Mar;38(3):228-9. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199903000-00002. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999. PMID: 10087678 No abstract available.
  • Recurrent depression: infectious-autoimmune etiology?
    Fernández-Rivas A, Terreros MT, Ibarmia J, Lantarón G, González-Torres MA. Fernández-Rivas A, et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2000 Jul;39(7):810-2. doi: 10.1097/00004583-200007000-00007. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2000. PMID: 10892221 No abstract available.

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