Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute vasculitis of small and medium sized arteries. Even many years after onset, aneurysms and stenosis in coronary arteries may lead to an acute myocardial infarction, which is described as atypical or missed KD in childhood. KD is an underlying disease of young adults with acute myocardial infarction. We report on a rare case involving a total occlusion in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery combined with a giant left main aneurysm in a young adult patient with acute myocardial infarction ascribed to antecedent KD that is undefined but almost certain.
BACKGROUND We analyzed the changes in QT dispersion (QTd) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD), and determined the presence of repolarization abnormality in these children even in the absence of coronary artery abnormalities. METHODS: Ninety-one children with KD and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in this retrospective study. Serial echocardiographic and electrocardiographic (ECG) measurements in the beginning of treatment, 2nd month and 6th month after the diagnosis were compared. Fifty-one of 91 children had at least 2 serial ECG data. The number of patients who had 3 consecutive ECG data was 23. RESULTS: Among the 67 KD patients with no coronary artery changes, the consecutive mean QTd values were 41.86 ms, 37.84 ms, and 25.47 ms, respectively (26 ms for controls). In the analysis of changes among KD patients without coronary artery abnormalities, QTd showed a significant decrease with time (p=0.01). Especially, the 1st month and the 6th month QTd values were significantly different (p=0.028). The mean QTd values in KD patients with coronary artery changes were significantly higher than those in KD patients with no coronary artery changes at each time (1st, 2nd, and 6th month exam). CONCLUSION: QTd is significantly increased in children during the early stage of KD. Repolarization abnormality may exist during the acute stage of KD, regardless of the echocardiographic changes.
Kawasaki disease, an acute febrile illness which primarily affects in children under the age of six, was first described by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967. It has been reported that Kawasaki disease is probable driven by abnormalities of the immune system after an infectious insult, but this has not been confirmed. It mainly affects small and medium-sized arteries, particularly the coronary arteries. Deaths may occur at any time with cardiovascular complications. The early recognition and treatment with follow-up evaluation for the coronary arterial lesion is very important in a case of Kawasaki disease.
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Risk factors for the occurrence and persistence of coronary aneurysms in Kawasaki disease Soo-kyeong Jeon, Geena Kim, Hoon Ko, Joung-Hee Byun, Hyoung Doo Lee Korean Journal of Pediatrics.2019; 62(4): 138. CrossRef
We compared the efficacy of each modality of treatment group in reducing the frequency of coronary artery abnormalities and change of clinical courses in children with Kawasaki disease in the children of 81 cases who were admitted in pediatric department of Yeungnam University Hospital from September 1985 to August 1990. Group A (37 cases)-aspirin alone, Group B (44 cases)-intravenous gammaglobulin (400 mmg/kg/day) for 5 consecutive days, plus aspirin. We studied the frequency of echocardiographic abnormalities, the duration of fever, and changes in the total white blood cell counts, platelet counts, ESR and CRP value at 1, 2 and 3 weeks of the illness and compared the results between the two groups. The results were as follows. 1) There was no significant intergroup difference in age and sex ratio. 2)The duration of the febrile period after the initiation of the therapy was significant shorter in group B (2.5±1.2days) than in group A: (5.2±3.5 days) (p<0.01). 3) No significant difference was noticed in the WBC and platelet counts in two groups as measured at admission day, 1 and 2 weeks of the illness, however, at 3weeks of illness significant difference was noted. 4) The CRP values measured at 1,2 and 3 weeks after treatment were significantly lower in group B (2.42±1.8, 2.00±1.2, 1.16±1.0) than in group A (7.22±5.3, 5.25±3.9, 1.85±1.2) respectively (p<0.01). 5) In 2D-Echocardiogram, coronary artery dilatation was more frequent in Group A than in Group B at 6month of illness (p<0.01). In conclusion, intravenous gammaglobulin therapy was effective in the shortening of the duration of fever and in the anti-inflammatory action and somewhat effective in prevention of coronary artery aneurysm.