[Kawasaki disease: heart disease during childhood]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for coronary lesions, the type of heart lesion present, and long-term outcome in Kawasaki disease. We studied 150 children, aged 3 months to 9.5 years, who met the criteria for a diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. Of the 18% who were diagnosed with heart disease, 100% had coronary artery abnormalities, 11.1% had pancarditis, and 3.7%, mitral insufficiency. The coronary abnormalities were classified according severity as follows: diffuse ectasia in 40.7%; a small-to-medium-sized solitary coronary artery aneurysm in 33.3%; numerous small-to-medium-sized aneurysms in 11.1%; giant aneurysms in 11.1%; and coronary artery stenosis in 3.7%. The presence of pancarditis was a predictor of a giant coronary artery aneurysm. Mortality was 3.7%. Coronary aneurysm was the predominant heart lesion. The risk factors for coronary aneurysm in Kawasaki disease included age less than 27 months, fever lasting more than 8 days, erythrocyte sedimentation greater than 70 mm, and pancarditis.