Case Report: PANDAS and Persistent Lyme Disease With Neuropsychiatric Symptoms: Treatment, Resolution, and Recovery

This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a pre-pubertal (onset at age 7) Caucasian female with serological evidence of Lyme disease accompanied by multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms 6 months following a vacation in a tick endemic area of the United States. Prior to the diagnosis of Lyme disease, the patient also met the clinical diagnostic criteria for PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep), with serological evidence of three distinct episodes of streptococcal pharyngitis. All three episodes of strep occurred during the 6-months interval between suspected Lyme disease exposure and the onset of multiple neuropsychiatric symptoms. Her sometimes incapacitating symptoms followed a relapsing and remitting course that impacted her personal, family, social, and academic domains. Over a span of 31 consecutive months of treatment with various antimicrobials and three courses of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) she experienced complete remission and remains symptom free at the time of this publication. Written permission was obtained from the minor patient's mother allowing the submission and publication of this case study.