Dr:LeRoy girls have PANDAS-like illness

LEROY, N.Y. (WIVB) - A New Jersey doctor is offering another possible explanation for the illness affecting over a dozen students in LeRoy.

Dr. Rosario Trifiletti rebukes the diagnosis of conversion disorder. He says his test results show an infection is behind the girls' unusual symptoms.

The uncontrollable shakes and outbursts could be connected to something other than conversion disorder. News 4 has confirmed eight girls from LeRoy High School have now also been diagnosed with a "PANDAS-like" illness. Dr. Trifiletti says infectious triggers could be causing the teens' shakes.

Last night on HLN, Dr. Drew Pinsky asked the doctor, "Dr. Trifiletti has believed this entire thing might be an infectious outbreak. And as I hear you talk, doctor, that would be your provisional impression?"

"That's right; I think that's one of the main factors and one of the most easily reversed factors here," argued Dr. Trifiletti.

In a statement, the doctor said his diagnosis leads to rational medical treatment, which is of immediate importance. He states treatment has already started and notes their response will be helpful in supporting his diagnosis. But there may be disagreement.

Dr. Sue Swedo from the National Institutes of Health discovered the syndrome called "PANDAS."

She says, "If it's only tics, it's not PANDAS. PANDAS and PANS are both clinical diagnoses. They do not depend on lab tests to make the diagnosis."

Dr. Trifiletti says he used lab tests to make the diagnosis, but Dr. Swedo says high levels of strep antibodies are incredibly common in grade school children. You can learn more about PANDAS from the National Institutes of Health here.

"You're obligated to prove that strep tider that is elevated actually had anything to do with the onset of symptoms and that's been a major issue with PANDAS all along," Dr. Swedo said.

Dr. Trifiletti has not shared his diagnosis with doctors from the Dent Institute, who determined this was a case of conversion disorder. The Dent Institute had no comment on Dr. Trifiletti's report, but did tell News 4 another student in LeRoy has been diagnosed with conversion disorder, bringing the total number of cases to 16.