Epidemiologic Study of Kawasaki Disease in Korea, 1994-1996: Comparison of Previous Study in 1991-1993

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the epidemiology and rate of cardiac sequelae of Kawasaki disease in Korea. METHODS: On behalf of the Korean Pediatric Cardiology Society, we sent a questionnaire to 107 training hospitals two times; first period(Jan. 94-Sep. 95) and second period(Oct. 95-Dec. 96), and summarized the data of the survey from 58 hospitals which responded. RESULTS: The total number of patients was 2,680 cases, with male to female ratio and mean age 1.6 and 28.9+/-20.0 months, respectively. The total number of cases of 19 hospitals which participated in the first and second periods was 1,045, including 354 in 1994, 315 in 1995, and 376 in 1996, which showed no difference in annual incidence and higher incidence in Jan., May, June and July. The proportions of sibling cases was 0.26%(7/2,680) and rate of recurrent cases was 1.7% (46/2,680), and the proportion of patients with Kawasaki disease among total hospitalized pediatric patients was 1.13% in average, showing no significant difference according to regions. Echocardiogram was done in 93.5% of patients(2,507/2,680), and coronary abnormalities occurred in 20.1% of cases (505/2,507) including 16.8% of dilatations and 5.4% of aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Compared with a previous study in 1991-1993, this data showed somewhat increased mean age, increased recurrence rate and decreased incidence of coronary arterial abnormalities statistically. Studies like this needs to be continued in the future to determine the epidemiologic trends of Kawasaki disease in Korea.