Fluvoxamine treatment of a child with severe PDD: a single case study.

Recent reports suggest that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are useful in the treatment of individuals with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders. We report on a single case study of the use of fluvoxamine with a 7-year-old Caucasian girl with severe pervasive developmental disorder. Our findings indicate that fluvoxamine was significantly effective in reducing stereotypical, repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and aggression and in improving prelinguistic and social behaviors. Our results indicate that the use of the SSRIs as a platform for the long-term habilitation of these children should be considered, but further studies are required to establish the efficiency of fluvoxamine for the treatment of children with autism.