Assessing Kawasaki disease in children at Alzahra hospital (1995-1999)

Abstract Background: Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile disease and mostly common in children less than 5 years old with systemic vasculitis. The complications could be prevented if rapid diagnosis and proper treatment with I.V.I.G. is established. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the signs, symptoms diagnosis, and treatment to prevent the complication of Kawasaki disease. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 45 patients with Kawasaki disease were followed up for 5 years (1995- 1999) at Alzahra teaching hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Finding: The analysis of data showed that male to female ratio was 1.8:1 and the incidence was highest in children 1 to 2 years old. The prevalence of clinical manifestations including fever, nonpurulant bilateral conjunctivitis, lips and oral changes, polymorphous rash, changes of extremities, and cervical lymphadenopathy were 100, 97.8, 95.6, 95.6, 97.8, and 62.2%, respectively. The prevalence of different laboratory findings was calculated for elevated ESR (93.3%), positive CRP (77.5%), leukocytosis (53.3%), thrombosytosis (74.3%), proteinuria (34.2%), and sterile pyuria (53.7%). Considering the complications, pleural effusion was seen in 2.2%, gall bladder hydrops 11.1%, encephalopathy 2.2%, pericardial effusion 11.1%, mitral valve disease 13.3%, and coronary artery aneurysm 22.2% of patients. Conclusion: Based on data found in our study, the very low frequency of disease in children less than one year old and also the lower efficacy of I.V.I.G. used in our study compared to those of other surveys, necessitates future large-scale studies. The complications could be reduced if a rapid diagnosis attached to proper treatment with I.V.I.G. is set up during the first 10 days following the onset of disease.