Common carotid artery intima-media thickness is useful for diagnosis of the acute stage of Kawasaki disease.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to investigate intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid arteries in children with acute Kawasaki disease (KD).


METHODS
Between 2009 and 2011, patients fulfilling the criteria for KD, including a fever lasting >5 days, were prospectively enrolled in this study. Laboratory data, echocardiography, and IMT were measured and compared with matched controls.


RESULTS
A total of 70 common carotid IMTs were measured in 35 children. We studied 21 patients aged 3-60 months old with acute KD and 14 febrile patients aged 3-194 months old with acute infection and similar characteristics to those of KD patients. Children with KD had a significantly higher IMT compared with the controls (0.550 ± 0.081 mm vs. 0.483 ± 0.046 mm, P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
IMT during the acute stage of KD is increased, suggesting that IMT could be a useful diagnostic tool in the early diagnosis of KD.
Ting-Hsin
TH
Wu
Hsuan-Chang
HC
Kuo
You-Lin
YL
Tain
Kuan-Miao
KM
Lin
Ho-Chang
HC
Kuo
Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niaosung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. csjdc@cgmh.org.tw.
Shao-Ju
SJ
Chien
D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology