Outcome of Cardiac Complication in Patients of Kawasaki Disease Treated with High-dose Gammaglobulin

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We performed the study to evaluate the risk factors associated with cardiac complication and the outcome of coronary lesions after high-dose (2g/kg, 1dose) gammaglobulin (IVIG) treatment in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS: Retrospective studies were performed on 338 cases of KD treated with high-dose IVIG at this hospital from May 1994 to March 1999. RESULTS: Among 338 patients, fever was persistent for 8.09+/-3.45 days in all patients and after IVIG infusion, fever subsided in 26.5+/-26.4 hours. Forty-five patients (13.3%) with abnormal baseline echocardiogram remained febrile for 9.09+/-4.09 days, significantly longer than normal baseline echocardiogram group. There was no significant differences in age, sex and other clinical findings. In 7 patients (2.1%) usage of medications above 12 months were needed. Eleven cases(3.3%) with persistent fever after their first course of IVIG therapy became afebrile post-second course of IVIG in 5 of the 11 cases with cardiac complication and in 1 case with recurrence. Twelve (male 11, female 1) of the 338 cases recurred after 8.45+/-4.39 months. Three of those 12 cases had cardiac complication. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of persistent coronary abnormalities in KD patients treated with high-dose IVIG and aspirin remains low. Even if patients had cardiac complication, they improved later.