Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: a review of the past 10 years.
OBJECTIVE
To review the literature on pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from the perspective of information relevant to American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology recertification in child and adolescent psychiatry.


METHODS
The clinical and research literatures were systematically searched or articles that address the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric OCD.


RESULTS
Drawing from the literature and their own clinical experience, the authors note that (1) OCD is a common neuropsychiatric disorder; (2) comorbidity is common, especially with tic, attention-deficit, anxiety, and affective disorders; (3) OCD following group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection may define an autoimmune sub-grouping calling for immunomodulatory treatments; and (4) OCD-specific cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor define the psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic treatments of choice, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Child psychiatrists should be familiar with the differential diagnosis and treatment of OCD.
March
J S
JS
Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Leonard
H L
HL
D000293:Adolescent; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors