Subclinical atherosclerosis, but normal autonomic function after Kawasaki disease.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the carotid artery intima-media-thickness (IMT) of children with Kawasaki disease with normative data for Western children.


METHODS
Forty-eight children (20 patients after Kawasaki disease, mean age 12.1 +/- 4.7 years; 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, mean age 12.0 +/- 3.1 years) were studied.


RESULTS
Mean (IMT differed significantly (0.449 +/- 0.02 vs 0.424 +/- 0.01, P < .001) as well as IMT standard deviation score (1.2 +/- 0.6 vs 0.3 +/- 0.1, P < .001). Patients with coronary arterial involvement (n = 15) showed a further increase of the IMT (0.459 +/- 0.01 vs 0.436 +/- 0.01, P < .05). There was no difference regarding short-term blood pressure regulation.


CONCLUSIONS
In this small patient group, signs of subclinical atherosclerosis after Kawasaki disease have been detected. These preliminary data indicate that these patients may be at risk for cardiovascular disease even in the absence of permanent alterations of the coronary arteries.
Dalla Pozza
Robert
R
Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. Robert.DallaPozza@med.unimuenchen.de
Bechtold
Susanne
S
Urschel
Simon
S
Kozlik-Feldmann
Rainer
R
Netz
Heinrich
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology