PANDAS Syndrome: A Narrative Review of the Diagnostic Conundrum in Children with Acute Neuropsychiatric Symptoms

Abstract

The hypothesis that Group A beta-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) triggers an autoimmune cascade targeting basal ganglia dopaminergic circuits—producing obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), tic disorders, or chorea depending on the receptor subtype involved—is biologically compelling and supported by emerging molecular evidence. Yet PANDAS has remained a diagnostic conundrum since its original description in 1998, with ongoing uncertainty surrounding diagnostic criteria, the interpretation of streptococcal serology, and the distinction from primary neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aimed to review the diagnostic challenges of PANDAS, with focus on streptococcal serology interpretation, advances in dopamine receptor autoantibody biology, the genetic epidemiology of primary tic disorders, and the differential diagnosis of acute neuropsychiatric presentations in children. A structured narrative review was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for publications from 1998 to early 2025 addressing PANDAS, PANS, streptococcal antibodies, childhood movement disorders, autoimmune encephalitis, and the genetics of tic disorders. No currently available biomarker—including ASO, anti-DNase B, anti-basal-ganglia antibodies, or the Cunningham Panel—has demonstrated adequate individual-level diagnostic accuracy for PANDAS. Emerging molecular evidence identifies anti-D1R autoantibodies, acting via G protein-and beta-arrestin-mediated signalling, as candidate biomarkers for PANDAS/PANS neuropsychiatric phenotypes, and anti-D2R autoantibodies for Sydenham chorea movement phenotypes; independent replication in unselected populations is required. Primary tic disorders carry heritability estimates of 50–80% and first-degree familial risk ratios of approximately 18-fold in large population-based cohorts. Prospective blinded studies have not demonstrated a consistent population-level association between GAS infections and tic or OCD exacerbations: PANDAS and PANS remain diagnoses of exclusion. The high background prevalence of both GAS exposure and primary neurodevelopmental disorders in overlapping paediatric age ranges creates conditions for incidental temporal co-occurrence. In the absence of validated molecular biomarkers, diagnostic imprecision carries direct clinical consequences: children may be exposed to treatments with significant risk profiles—including IVIG, plasma exchange, and prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis—while evidence-based therapies are delayed. A stepwise diagnostic approach incorporating the full differential diagnosis is both an epistemological and a patient safety imperative.