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Case study: an infection-triggered, autoimmune subtype of anorexia nervosa
1Eating Disorders Program, Menninger Clinic, Topeka, KS, USA. sokolms@menninger.edu
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.