All issues > Volume 47(8); 2004

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(8):879-883. Published online August 15, 2004.

Clinical Characteristics of Recurrent Kawasaki Disease

Hyun Ji HJ Lee¹, Ae Ra AR Cho¹, Hae Soon HS Kim¹, Sejung SJ Sohn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Ewha Womans University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Hae Soon HS Kim ,Email: hyesk@ewha.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical manifestations and the risk factors of recurrent Kawasaki disease(KD).
Methods
: From March 1995 to June 2003, 14 children with recurrent KD in Ewha Womans University Hospital were retrospectively evaluated by reviewing their admission reports. The clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment and complications of the recurrent KD group were compared to that of a control group. The control group was admitted once for KD. Also, for the patients in the recurrent KD group, the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment and complications were compared between an initial and a second episode.
Results
: Among the 561 children with KD, 14 cases(2.4%) were included in the recurrent KD. At the initial episode of recurrent KD group, the sex ratio was 1.3 : 1(male : female) and the mean age was 23?3 months. There were no differences in demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, laboratory results, treatment and complications between the recurrent KD group and control group. The interval between two episodes in the recurrent KD group was 17.9?6.2 months(1-60 months). The total febrile period showed no differences between the two episodes in the recurrent KD group but the febrile period before admission was shorter in the second episode(P=0.02). The clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, treatment and coronary artery complications were not different in the two episodes of the recurrent KD group.
Conclusion
: There were no predictive clinical characteristics or laboratory findings for recurrent KD. Treatment and coronary artery complications were not different between an initial and a second episode of the recurrent KD.

Keywords :Recurrence, Kawasaki disease