Guidelines for catheter intervention in coronary artery lesion in Kawasaki disease

Unknown origin of acute myocardial infarction and lifesaving percutaneous coronary intervention in a 10-year-old girl

Myocardial infarction is extremely rare in children. However, chest pain suspected to be cardiac in origin by the parents is a very common presenting symptom in pediatric emergency services. In this case, an electrocardiogram is very important in the differential diagnosis of cardiogenic complaints and should be carefully considered.

A child case of Kawasaki with giant coronary aneurysm: percutaneous coronary intervention due to anterior myocardial infarction

Kawasaki disease is usually self-limited, but it can lead to aneurysm, stenosis, thrombosis, and myocardial infarction in the coronary arteries. The most important complication of Kawasaki disease is coronary artery aneurysm. Coronary artery aneurysm or ectasia may be seen in 15-25% of patients who do not receive treatment. It develops in 5% of children who receive intravenous immunoglobulin at the appropriate time. Acute myocardial infarction is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in Kawasaki patients with giant aneurysms. We present a 10-year-old girl who had a history of giant aneurysm in the coronary arteries and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention due to anterior myocardial infarction.

Observation on the clinical effect of high-dose Intravenous Immunoglobulin combined with low-dose prednisone acetate in the treatment of patients with Kawasaki Disease

Objective:

To evaluate the clinical effect of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (HDIVIG) single dose and pulse therapy combined with small-dose prednisone acetate in the treatment of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD).

Methods:

Eighty patients with KD from Baoding Children’s Hospital, China, were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group, each with 40 cases. Patients in the experimental group were treated with HDIVIG single dose, pulse therapy combined with low-dose prednisone acetate, while patients in the control group were treated with conventional-dose immunoglobulin. Patients in both groups were treated with aspirin orally, and given symptomatic treatment including anti-inflammatory, nutritional support, correction of water and electrolyte disturbance and acid-base balance. Peripheral venous blood samples were drawn from all patients at the time of admission, Day-1, Day-7 and Day-14 after treatment, and in the basic state of getting up in the morning, and then the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The time of body temperature falling to normal, lymph node swelling recovery, hands and feet swelling, mucosal hyperemia regression after treatment in the two groups was recorded, and the treatment effect of the two groups was comprehensively evaluated.

Results:

After treatment, the levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-a, CRP, IL-6 in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). In addition, the time of body temperature falling to normal, lymph node swelling recovery, hands and feet swelling, and mucosal hyperemia regression in the experimental group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (p=0.00). The effective rate of the experimental group was 95% and that of the control group was 80%, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.04).

Conclusion:

HDIVIG single dose, pulse therapy combined with small-dose prednisone acetate has a favourable therapeutic effect in the treatment of patients with KD, by which the inflammatory factors can be significantly improved, clinical symptoms and weight can be quickly ameliorated, and therapeutic effect can be enhanced.

Challenges and strategies in the management of coronary artery aneurysms

Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are infrequent but not rare. Because of the lack of supportive data and a substantial knowledge gap in this field, clinicians are in a dilemma how to manage patients with coronary artery aneurysms. Most often, CAAs are discovered incidentally, while symptomatic patients present with diverse complications of unstable angina, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, or sudden cardiac death. Therapeutical approaches consist of surgical procedure, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and medical management. Because of the scarcity of randomized trials or large-scale data on symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with coronary artery aneurysms, the management of these patients poses considerable challenges for the cardiologists. This review summarizes the current literature, a proposed algorithm for the management of CAAs is highlighted in the text. In view of the majority of current proposal information based on small series of case reports or observational studies, an individualized therapeutic regimen should be on the basis of the location, expansion by time, morphology, complications, and etiologies of the coronary artery aneurysms, the clinical presentations, and the patient's characteristics.

[Coronary Revascularization in Kawasaki's disease]

Kawasaki´s disease (KD) has surpassed rheumatic fever in many countries as the first cause of acquired heart disease in pediatric age, being the coronary aneurism its worst complication. We present a case of successful revascularization in a 5-year-old patient, with three-vessel coronary disease secondary to KD, who underwent a coronary bypass with anastomosis from the left internal mammary artery to the anterior descending artery, the right mammary artery to the marginal obtuse artery and the radial artery to the posterior descending artery. Close follow-up and choosing the right time to undergo surgery will prevent adverse events like permanent disability of the patient, ventricular dysfunction, arrhythmias, global infarction and sudden death.

Cardiac Catheterization in Assessment and Treatment of Kawasaki Disease in Children and Adolescents

Cardiac catheterization has become a promising tool to assess and treat coronary artery lesions in patients with Kawasaki disease. Significant coronary artery lesions can now be treated via transcatheter route even in small children. Further development and miniaturization of this technology will help to promote widespread use to the benefit of small children suffering from coronary artery disease. The role of diagnostic and interventional coronary artery procedures in children and adolescents are discussed in this article.

Significance of Coronary Revascularization for Coronary-Artery Obstructive Lesions Due to Kawasaki Disease

As an acquired ischemic heart disease in childhood, coronary-artery disease caused by Kawasaki disease (KD) has been known worldwide since the mid-1970s. KD patients who develop coronary-artery obstructive disease often need revascularization some time in their life. Coronary-artery revascularization for KD coronary lesions can be done with the surgical coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. However, the characteristics of coronary-arterial lesions caused by KD significantly differ from atherosclerotic coronary disease in adults. Therefore, it is much more difficult to determine the optimal time and selection of a coronary-artery revascularization procedure for KD sequelae. CABG using the internal thoracic artery has been accepted as a very useful and beneficial procedure since the mid-1980s, even in small children. Although the use of PCI in the late period can be effective in some adolescent and adult patients, the small vessel size and severe coronary-artery calcification are often limiting factors for its use in children. Therefore, CABG is a better approach for severe leftanterior descending artery and multiple-vessel disease in children and adolescents with KD coronary sequelae. Good coronary revascularization can improve the long-term outcomes of patients with severe KD complications.

Management of sequelae of Kawasaki disease in adults

Background: A growing population of young adults is presenting to cardiologists with late manifestations of Kawasaki disease (KD) that include cardiomyopathy, ischemia, and infarction. The management of these conditions differs in important ways from atherosclerotic heart disease, and yet there is little awareness in the adult cardiology community regarding the special challenges posed by the cardiovascular sequelae of KD.

Methods: Observations were made on a population of 140 adult KD patients enrolled in the San Diego Adult KD Collaborative Study.

Results: Coronary artery aneurysms resulting from KD in childhood are associated with a high risk of thrombosis and stenosis at the inlet or outlet of the aneurysm. These aneurysms are often highly calcified and may contain a large thrombus burden that may obscure the true size of the aneurysm. Pitfalls in the management of these patients stem largely from failure to recognize the nature of the lesions, which leads to attempts to dilate highly calcified stenotic segments and undersizing of stents. Intravascular ultrasound is helpful in appreciating the true dimensions of the aneurysm, which may be filled with thrombus. Thrombolysis and use of anti-platelet agents followed by systemic anti-coagulation are appropriate management strategies for patients presenting with acute infarction. Bypass grafting with the internal thoracic arteries can be a successful strategy, but care must be taken to avoid competitive flow through the native vessel leading to graft failure. In contrast to the individuals who developed coronary artery aneurysms, young adults who had documented normal echocardiograms associated with their acute KD in childhood and who have no evidence of calcium deposition in the arterial wall as assessed by computed tomography (CT) calcium score appear to have no increased cardiovascular risk in the medium term. Long-term outcomes for adults post-KD in childhood are still being defined.

Conclusions: KD poses special management challenges for the adult cardiologist who must recognize the unique features of the cardiovascular lesions in this growing population of patients.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention after Kawasaki Disease: The Pediatric Canadian Series

Coronary artery (CA) aneurysms are serious complications of Kawasaki disease (KD) responsible for ischemic events. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are reported with limited data on indications and comparative efficacy. Retrospective multicenter comparison of CA intervention following KD is performed in this study. Twenty two cases were available from 5 centers, of whom 11 underwent CABG, 10 PCI and 1 systemic thrombolysis. Age at intervention (8.3 ± 3.9 vs 11.3 ± 4.9 years, p = 0.14) and interval from diagnosis (5.6 ± 4.1 vs 6.5 ± 4.7 years, p = 0.64) were similar between CABG and PCI. Interventions were based on angiography in 15 patients or cardiac event in 7, with no difference between CABG and PCI (p = 0.24). Patients with CABG were more likely to undergo multivessel intervention (73 vs 10 %, p = 0.006). None of the patients needed reintervention after CABG, compared to 6 after PCI and 1 after systemic thrombolysis (p = 0.004). Signs of ischemia on stress testing or MIBI were present in 15 patients before intervention and persisted in 9 patients following last intervention, in a significantly higher proportion after CABG than PCI (80 vs 17 %, p = 0.01). In this series, CABG, which mostly involved multivessel intervention, was superior to PCI. Nevertheless, larger-scale studies may help define patient selection criteria for a beneficial PCI approach.

Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease is an acute, self-limited vasculitis of unknown etiology that occurs predominantly in infants and children. If not treated early with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin, 1 in 5 children develop coronary artery aneurysms; this risk is reduced 5-fold if intravenous immunoglobulin is administered within 10 days of fever onset. Coronary artery aneurysms evolve dynamically over time, usually reaching a peak dimension by 6 weeks after illness onset. Almost all the morbidity and mortality occur in patients with giant aneurysms. Risk of myocardial infarction from coronary artery thrombosis is greatest in the first 2 years after illness onset. However, stenosis and occlusion progress over years. Indeed, Kawasaki disease is no longer a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome presenting in young adults. Both coronary artery bypass surgery and percutaneous intervention have been used to treat Kawasaki disease patients who develop myocardial ischemia as a consequence of coronary artery aneurysms and stenosis.

Long-term prognostic impact of dobutamine stress echocardiography in patients with Kawasaki disease and coronary artery lesions: a 15-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine the prognostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) over a 15-year follow-up for predicting cardiac events in adolescent Kawasaki disease (KD) patients with coronary artery lesions (CALs).

BACKGROUND

Although DSE is an established technique for the detection of coronary artery disease, its prognostic value to predict cardiac events in adolescent KD patients with CALs is unknown.

METHODS

Fifty-eight adolescent KD patients, including 36 patients with CALs documented by coronary angiography, and 22 patients with normal coronary arteries documented by echocardiography who underwent DSE were reviewed at initial testing (mean age: 13.6 years) and at 15 years' follow-up. Follow-up events were tabulated as major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) that included cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and revascularization.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 14.7 years, there were 16 patients with MACEs (acute myocardial infarction: n = 1; old myocardial infarction: n = 7; coronary artery bypass grafting: n = 4; percutaneous coronary intervention: n = 4). Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) (>70% coronary stenosis) was detected in 31.0% of patients at initial testing and 42.1% at follow-up. However, there were no significant differences in wall motion score indices (WMSI) at peak DSE between initial testing and follow-up (p = 0.762). Five of 6 patients (85%) with false-positive DSE results (WMSI: ≥1.25) at initial testing, who had giant aneurysms without CAD, developed CAD with MACEs during follow-up. Cumulative event-free survival rate to 15 years was 25.0% in patients with WMSI ≥1.25 and 91.7% in patients with WMSI <1.25. Cox regression analysis showed the grade of peak WMSI at initial testing to be the only independent predictor of MACEs (relative risk: 3.28; 95% confidence interval: 1.73 to 6.20).

CONCLUSIONS

DSE provided independent prognostic information up to 15 years in adolescent KD survivors.

New coronary aneurysm formation and malapposition after zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation in Kawasaki disease

Coronary artery involvement is the most important complication of Kawasaki disease. Coronary artery bypass surgery has been performed for ischemic heart disease caused by Kawasaki disease, however, long-term coronary graft patency is not satisfactory. Therefore, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has its role in Kawasaki disease-related coronary artery disease. The incidence of new aneurysm is lower following stent implantation than balloon dilatation alone, even if a higher balloon pressure is applied. However, there are few reports about the efficacy of drug-eluting stent implantation for Kawasaki disease with coronary artery disease. Here, we describe a case of new coronary aneurysm formation and malapposition after zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation in Kawasaki disease. <Learning objective: New aneurysm formation after balloon angioplasty for coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease is a relatively well-known phenomenon, however there have been no reports about the influence of drug-eluting stents for coronary artery disease with Kawasaki disease. This report is useful when we consider strategies of revascularization for coronary artery disease with Kawasaki disease.>.

Cardiac surgical procedures for the coronary sequelae of Kawasaki disease

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this article is to make an evaluation on the clinical features of patients with Kawasaki disease who require a cardiac surgical procedure including coronary artery bypass grafting, coronary arterial aneurysmorrhaphy or heart transplantation.

METHODS

English literature of Kawasaki disease for cardiac surgery (1990-2011) was retrieved in the Pubmed database. The clinical features of the patient setting from the representative articles were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

Patients with Kawasaki disease were very young, with some requiring a cardiac surgical procedure at a very early age. The interval between the onset and the surgical operation was 9.5±9.4 years. The prevalence of myocardial infarction and re-infarction was high. Giant aneurysm, critical stenosis with calcification and thrombus formation of the coronary arteries often warrant coronary artery bypass, heart transplantation or coronary arterial aneurysm plication. The left internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending coronary artery was the most commonly used graft in coronary artery bypass. Graft patency rate was 82.4% at 21.4±32.3 (range 0.1-252) month follow-up. The early and late mortalities of this patient setting were 0.6 and 3.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with Kawasaki disease may develop coronary artery lesions prone to aneurysmal formation with calcification and thrombus and may require coronary artery bypass at a very early age. With the left internal mammary artery as the first choice of bypass graft, the long-term patency and patient survival was satisfactory.

Stent implantation for a totally occluded right coronary artery in a six-year-old boy after Kawasaki disease: a case report

Introduction

Coronary stenting has previously been considered to be less feasible in children under 12 years old due to the limitation of vascular access. We report the case of a six-year-old boy who successfully underwent stent implantation for his totally occluded right coronary artery.

Case presentation

A Taiwanese boy aged six years and nine months old was found to have giant aneurysms after an acute episode of Kawasaki disease. An angiography revealed that his middle right coronary artery was totally occluded. A 0.014-inch guidewire was advanced to cross the totally occluded site. After pre-dilating the middle portion of his right coronary artery with a 1.5 mm balloon, stenting of his right coronary artery was accomplished using a 2.5 × 28 mm and a 2.5 × 18 mm bare metal stent. A final angiography demonstrated no residual stenosis or dissection.

Conclusion

Coronary stenting could be a therapeutic option for children as young as six years old. Close follow-up is mandatory because the long-term outcome is still unclear, especially in a small child.

Catheter interventions for kawasaki disease: current concepts and future directions

During the past 15 years, clinical experience with catheter interventional treatment in patients with Kawasaki disease, including balloon angioplasty, stent implantation, rotational ablation, and transluminal coronary revascularization, has been gradually increasing. Because the coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease involve severe calcifications, the indications or catheter intervention techniques have not been established for adult patients with Kawasaki disease. Satisfactory acute results for coronary balloon angioplasty have been obtained in patients with a relatively short interval from the onset of disease, especially within 6 years; however, the incidence of restenosis after angioplasty is still high. Rotational ablation may be the most appropriate catheter intervention technique for patients with Kawasaki disease. The advantage of rotational ablation is the high success rate, even in patients with calcified coronary artery stenosis. Stent implantation requires larger arterial access and is not possible in younger children. Care should be paid to the detection of newly-formed aneurysms, as the formation of new aneurysms is associated with the use of additional balloon angioplasty using high pressure balloon inflation. Anticoagulation or anti-platelet regimens are essential for long-term management. Coronary intervention in Kawasaki disease requires special techniques and knowledge of cardiovascular involvement. The procedure should be managed under the close collaboration between pediatric cardiologists and coronary interventional cardiologists.

Percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting for stenotic lesions after Kawasaki disease

OBJECTIVE

To compare the long-term efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for stenotic lesions after Kawasaki disease.

STUDY DESIGN

Questionnaires were sent to pediatricians in Japan in hospitals with 100 or more beds. A total of 1637 questionnaires were sent, and 1347 (82%) were returned. The primary endpoints of the study were the composite of deaths from any cause and the Q-wave myocardial infarction. The secondary endpoints were the repeat-revascularization for the target vessel.

RESULTS

A total of 67 patients underwent PCI and 81 patients underwent CABG. Although the rates of the primary endpoints did not differ between the groups (hazard ratio 1.35 [95% confidence interval 0.29 to 6.32], P=.7), the rate of the secondary endpoints in the PCI group was significantly higher than that in the CABG group (hazard ratio 2.23 [95% confidence interval 1.04 to 4.76], P=.04). The benefit with CABG for the secondary endpoints was notable in patients younger than 12 years old, and who had ischemic change.

CONCLUSIONS

PCI after Kawasaki disease resulted in a lower efficacy in comparison to CABG because of increased repeat-revascularization procedures.

Pathogenesis and management of Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic inflammatory illness of young children that can result in coronary artery aneurysms, myocardial infarction and sudden death in previously healthy children. Clinical and epidemiologic features support an infectious cause, but the etiology remains unknown four decades after KD was first identified by Tomisaku Kawasaki. Finding the cause of KD is a pediatric research priority. We review the unique immunopathology of KD and describe the current treatment. New research has led to identification of viral-like cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in acute KD tissues; this finding could lead to identification of the elusive etiologic agent and result in significant advances in KD diagnosis and treatment. Current management of acute KD is based upon prospective, multicenter treatment trials of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) with high-dose aspirin. Optimal therapy is 2 g/kg IVIG with high-dose aspirin as soon as possible after diagnosis during the acute febrile phase of illness, followed by low-dose aspirin until follow-up echocardiograms indicate a lack of coronary abnormalities. The addition of one dose of intravenous pulse steroid has not been shown to be beneficial. For the 10-15% of patients with refractory KD, few controlled data are available. Options include repeat IVIG (our preference), a 3-day course of intravenous pulse methylprednisolone, or infliximab (Remicade). Patients with mild-to-moderate coronary abnormalities should receive an antiplatelet agent such as low-dose aspirin (3-5 mg/kg/day) or clopidogrel (1 mg/kg/day up to 75 mg), and those with giant (approximately 8 mm diameter) or multiple coronary aneurysms should receive an antiplatelet agent with an anticoagulant such as warfarin or low-molecular-weight heparin. Acute coronary obstruction requires acute thrombolytic therapy with a surgical or percutaneous interventional procedure.

Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis of childhood, complicated by coronary artery aneurysms in up to 25% of affected children. High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administered in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease leads to a fivefold reduction in the prevalence of coronary aneurysms. When fever persists, a second IVIG infusion should be administered. Rescue therapies for IVIG-resistant Kawasaki disease include pulsed-dose methylprednisolone or other steroid regimens, as well as infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonist. Aspirin is used initially in an anti-inflammatory dosage, then at a low dosage until approximately 6 weeks after illness onset. Patients with coronary aneurysms require chronic antithrombotic therapy. For small aneurysms, aspirin alone is sufficient. For larger aneurysms, agents added to aspirin include clopidogrel and, for giant aneurysms, warfarin or low molecular weight heparin. Long-term management is tailored to the degree of coronary artery involvement. Evidence-based data to guide indications for transcatheter and surgical intervention are limited.

When children with Kawasaki disease grow up: Myocardial and vascular complications in adulthood

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self-limited vasculitis that typically occurs in young children and was first described by Japanese pediatrician Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967. Although originally thought to be a rare condition, KD has become the most common cause of acquired heart disease in the pediatric age group in developed countries. The majority of patients with KD appear to have a benign prognosis, but a subset of patients with coronary artery aneurysms are at risk for ischemic events and require lifelong treatment. In the 4 decades that have passed since the initial recognition of KD, the number of patients reaching adulthood has continued to grow. Adult cardiologists will be increasingly involved in the management of these patients. Currently, there are no established guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of adult patients who have had KD. We review here the current literature that may be helpful to clinicians who care for adults who experienced KD in childhood.

Kawasaki Disease update

Kawasaki Disease is rapidly becoming the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children in both the developed and developing world. Its etiology remains a mystery but important progress has been made in characterizing the features of the arterial wall and myocardial pathology and long-term clinical consequences. New treatments aimed at modifying the host immune response are currently under study. The genetic influence on susceptibility and disease outcome is an area of active research.

First recanalization of a coronary artery chronic total obstruction in an 11-year-old child with Kawasaki disease sequelae using the CROSSER catheter

This is a case of an 11(1/2)-year-old diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at 6 months of age. Distal left main coronary aneurysm involving the proximal anterior descending and circumflex had progressed into a chronic total occlusion. We report the first application of a novel percutaneous technique using the CROSSER catheter system in a child. The CROSSER is a high-frequency mechanical vibration catheter-based technology developed to safely penetrate through calcific and noncalcific coronary artery occlusions. This is also the first Kawasaki disease patient to benefit from this technology; in this disease, coronary artery stenosis is typically associated with heavy calcification.

Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile, systemic vasculitic syndrome of an unknown etiology that primarily occurs in children younger than five years of age. The principal presentations of Kawasaki disease include fever, bilateral nonexudative conjunctivitis, erythema of the lips and oral mucosa, changes in the extremities, rash, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Coronary artery aneurysms or ectasia develops in 15% to 25% of untreated children with the disease, which may later lead to myocardial infarction, sudden death, or ischemic heart disease. Treatment with intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) is effective, but the mode of action is still unclear. The development of a diagnostic test, a more specific therapy, and ultimately the prevention of this potentially fatal illness in children are all dependent upon the continued advances in determining the etiopathogenesis of this fascinating disorder.

Current perspectives on Kawasaki disease

The etiology of Kawasaki disease (KD) remains unknown despite several years of dedicated research in this direction. Recently coronavirus infection and genetic polymorphisms have been implicated. Since first description of the disease there have been few changes in the diagnostic criteria except for newer recommendations of fever of at least 4 instead of 5 days duration. Recently, Echocardiography Criteria and Laboratory Criteria have been added to aid in the diagnosis of incomplete KD where all the historical diagnostic criteria are not present; this is now called the "incomplete form of KD" as opposed to "atypical form of KD". The word "atypical" is reserved for unusual presentations of KD such as those with hemophagocytic syndrome or nerve palsy. The treatment of KD includes infusion of high dose immunoglobulin. Patients non-responsive to immunoglobulin therapy are labeled as having "immunoglobulin resistant KD". The treatment of immunoglobulin resistant KD can be challenging and new therapies that have tried with some success. Late outcomes after 4 decades of treating these patients have recently been published. There has been some concern about increased risk for premature atherosclerosis in patients with childhood KD who had coronary artery abnormalities.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for coronary artery stenosis in a young patient with long term Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki Disease (KD) is an acute, febrile, multisystem disease of children. More severe complications in 15-25% of cases include, the development of coronary aneurysms, ischemic heart disease, and sudden cardiac death. The standard treatment for significant coronary artery stenosis has generally been aortocoronary bypass surgery, although percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has been described in a small number of patients. This report describes a 14 year old boy with a history of KD who developed multiple coronary aneurysms and stenosis. We performed PTCA, which was successful in relieving the stenosis of the left circumflex artery.

Diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of Kawasaki disease: a statement for health professionals from the Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease is an acute self-limited vasculitis of childhood that is characterized by fever, bilateral nonexudative conjunctivitis, erythema of the lips and oral mucosa, changes in the extremities, rash, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Coronary artery aneurysms or ectasia develop in approximately 15% to 25% of untreated children and may lead to ischemic heart disease or sudden death.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A multidisciplinary committee of experts was convened to revise the American Heart Association recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of Kawasaki disease. The writing group proposes a new algorithm to aid clinicians in deciding which children with fever for > or =5 days and < or =4 classic criteria should undergo echocardiography, receive intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) treatment, or both for Kawasaki disease. The writing group reviews the available data regarding the initial treatment for children with acute Kawasaki disease, as well for those who have persistent or recrudescent fever despite initial therapy with IVIG, including IVIG retreatment and treatment with corticosteroids, tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonists, and abciximab. Long-term management of patients with Kawasaki disease is tailored to the degree of coronary involvement; recommendations regarding antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy, physical activity, follow-up assessment, and the appropriate diagnostic procedures to evaluate cardiac disease are classified according to risk strata.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations for the initial evaluation, treatment in the acute phase, and long-term management of patients with Kawasaki disease are intended to assist physicians in understanding the range of acceptable approaches for caring for patients with Kawasaki disease. The ultimate decisions for case management must be made by physicians in light of the particular conditions presented by individual patients.

Interventions in Kawasaki disease

During the past 10 years, the clinical experience of catheter interventional treatment in Kawasaki disease has gradually increased. These treatments include balloon angioplasty, stent implantation, rotational ablation, and transluminal coronary revascularization. Because coronary artery stenosis in Kawasaki disease commonly involves severe calcification, in contrast with adult atherosclerotic coronary artery lesions, the indication or technique of catheter intervention for adult patients cannot be directly determined. Satisfactory acute results for coronary balloon angioplasty were obtained in patients in a relatively short interval from the onset of disease, especially within 6 years. However, the incidence of restenosis after angioplasty was still high. Rotational ablation may be the most appropriate catheter intervention for Kawasaki disease. The advantage of rotational ablation is the high success rate, even in patients with calcified coronary artery stenosis. Stent implantation requires larger arterial access and is not possible in younger children. Care should be paid to the detection of new aneurysm formation because this was associated with the use of additional balloon angioplasty using high-pressure balloon inflation. Anticoagulation or antiplatelet regimens are essential for long-term management.

Diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of Kawasaki disease: a statement for health professionals from the Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease is an acute self-limited vasculitis of childhood that is characterized by fever, bilateral nonexudative conjunctivitis, erythema of the lips and oral mucosa, changes in the extremities, rash, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Coronary artery aneurysms or ectasia develop in approximately 15% to 25% of untreated children and may lead to ischemic heart disease or sudden death.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A multidisciplinary committee of experts was convened to revise the American Heart Association recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of Kawasaki disease. The writing group proposes a new algorithm to aid clinicians in deciding which children with fever for > or =5 days and < or =4 classic criteria should undergo echocardiography [correction], receive intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) treatment, or both for Kawasaki disease. The writing group reviews the available data regarding the initial treatment for children with acute Kawasaki disease, as well for those who have persistent or recrudescent fever despite initial therapy with IVIG, including IVIG retreatment and treatment with corticosteroids, tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonists, and abciximab. Long-term management of patients with Kawasaki disease is tailored to the degree of coronary involvement; recommendations regarding antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy, physical activity, follow-up assessment, and the appropriate diagnostic procedures to evaluate cardiac disease are classified according to risk strata.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations for the initial evaluation, treatment in the acute phase, and long-term management of patients with Kawasaki disease are intended to assist physicians in understanding the range of acceptable approaches for caring for patients with Kawasaki disease. The ultimate decisions for case management must be made by physicians in light of the particular conditions presented by individual patients.

Kawasaki disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Kawasaki disease is an acute, self-limited vasculitis of childhood characterized by fever, bilateral nonexudative conjunctivitis, erythema of the lips and oral mucosa, changes in the extremities, rash, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Coronary artery aneurysms or ectasia develop in approximately 15 to 25% of untreated children with the disease and may lead to myocardial infarction, sudden death, or ischemic heart disease.

RECENT FINDINGS

In the United States, Kawasaki disease has now surpassed acute rheumatic fever as the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. The cause of Kawasaki disease remains unknown, but fortunately intravenous immune globulin therapy has proved to be effective at reducing the prevalence of coronary aneurysms in most children treated in the acute phase. Therapy for Kawasaki disease resistant to intravenous immune globulin therapy is an area of research and controversy. The long-term treatment of children with Kawasaki disease is dependent on coronary artery status.

SUMMARY

This review covers key data on the etiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and long-term outcomes of Kawasaki disease, highlighting recent publications.

Kawasaki syndrome

Kawasaki syndrome is an acute, self-limited vasculitis that occurs in children of all ages and presents a challenge for the clinician: the disorder can be difficult to recognise; there is no diagnostic laboratory test; there is an extremely effective therapy; and there is a 25% chance of serious cardiovascular damage if the treatment is not given early in the course of the disease. This review includes discussion of the history of the syndrome, the diagnostic challenges, epidemiology, aetiology, pathology, immunopathogenesis, therapy, genetic influences, and the long-term cardiovascular sequelae.

Sequential follow-up results of catheter intervention for coronary artery lesions after Kawasaki disease: quantitative coronary artery angiography and intravascular ultrasound imaging study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to assess the sequential follow-up results of catheter intervention in Kawasaki disease by use of quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and intravascular ultrasound imaging.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Catheter intervention was performed on 23 stenotic lesions in 22 patients (aged 2 to 24 years). Percutaneous balloon angioplasty (PBA) was performed in 4 patients, stent implantation in 7, percutaneous transluminal coronary rotational ablation (PTCRA) in 10, and a combination of PTCRA with stent implantation in 2. A total of 21 lesions (91%) were successfully dilated by catheter intervention without major or minor complications. One patient immediately underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery because stent implantation failed to resolve his lesion. At 4 to 6 months after catheter intervention, 2 restenotic lesions (9%) were detected by QCA in 2 patients who had undergone PBA, and these patients subsequently underwent CABG surgery. In 6 months to 3 years after catheter intervention, no patients showed evidence of ischemic findings. At 3 to 4 years after catheter intervention, QCA and intravascular ultrasound studies were performed on 15 lesions in 14 patients. Two restenotic lesions (13%) were detected by QCA in 2 patients. One of the 2 had stent implantation and underwent CABG surgery, and the other had undergone PTCRA and underwent re-PTCRA. Thirteen patients demonstrated no ischemic findings at 3 to 8 years after catheter intervention.

CONCLUSION

Catheter intervention for Kawasaki disease can be accomplished and can be effective in the short term, but the long-term efficacy should be verified by further study.