ABSTRACT
Background: The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from mild to severe. Severe COVID-19 cases with excessive hyperinflammation have many overlap features with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Objectives: We aimed to describe the typical clinical and laboratory features and treatment of children diagnosed with MIS-C and to understand the differences as compared to severe/critical pediatric cases with COVID-19 in an eastern Mediterranean country. Methods: Children (aged <18 years) who diagnosed with MIS-C and severe/ critical pediatric cases with COVID-19, were admitted to hospital between 26 March and 3 November 2020 were enrolled in the study. Results: A total of 52 patients, 22 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 with severe/critical disease course and 30 patients diagnosed with MIS-C. Although severe COVID-19 cases and cases with MIS-C share many clinical and laboratory features, MIS-C cases had longer fever duration and higher rate of the existence of rash, conjunctival injection, peripheral edema, abdominal pain, altered mental status, and myalgia than in severe cases (p<0.001 for each). Of all, 53.3% of MIS-C cases had the evidence of myocardial involvement as compared to severe cases (27.2%). Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) are the independent predictors for the diagnosis of MIS-C, particularly in the existence of conjunctival injection and rash. Corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and biologic immunomodulatory treatments were mainly used in MIS-C cases rather than cases with severe disease course. There were only 3 deaths among 52 patients, one of whom had Burkitt lymphoma and the two cases with severe COVID-19 of late referral. Conclusion: Differences between clinical presentations, acute phase responses, organ involvements, and management strategies indicate that MIS-C might be a distinct immunopathogenic disease as compared to pediatric COVID-19. Conjunctival injection and higher CRP and low WBC count seem good diagnostic parameters for MIS-C cases.