ABSTRACT

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute multisystemic vasculitis that manifests with prolonged fever commonly in children and involves medium-sized vessels. Coronary artery aneurysm occurs in 15%-25% of untreated patients. This study aims to evaluate the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics as well as the treatment of patients with KD who were followed up in our clinic for 10 years.

Patients who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of KD between January 2009 and January 2019 in our hospital were evaluated on the basis of the patient records. Patients meeting at least four of the principal KD criteria were categorized as complete KD (cKD), and patients meeting fewer criteria were categorized as incomplete KD. Demographic characteristics and clinical, laboratory, and echocardiography (ECHO) findings were evaluated.

Of the 36 patients (aged 4-62 months) involved in this study, 23 (63.9%) were male, and 30 (83.3%) were diagnosed within the first 10 days of their sickness. KD mostly occurred in children aged 12-60 months (66.7%). cKD was observed in 19 patients, and 84.2% of them were aged between 12 and 60 months. ECHO showed coronary artery involvement in nine patients—eight of whom were male—and mitral insufficiency in three patients. Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment was administered twice in seven patients, one of them developed macrophage activation syndrome.

KD should be considered in cases of prolonged fever in children, and the diagnostic criteria should be examined carefully, and if diagnosed, patients should be given the correct treatment without any delay.