Has joint involvement lessened in Kawasaki disease?

OBJECTIVE: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis affecting medium-sized arteries, particularly the coronary arteries. Classic diagnosis is based in prolonged fever and different clinical features, including acute arthritis. Our objective is to determine the prevalence of arthritis at the moment of the diagnosis, the response to intravenous immunoglobulin infusion and the relation with cardiac findings.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study through review of medical records of 42 patients with KD from 1988 to 2013. Demographic, clinical, laboratory variables and treatment were reviewed.

RESULTS: Male sex was predominant (57%). Fever (100%), exanthema (92,9%), conjunctivitis (78,6%), oropharingeal changes (76,2%), cervical lymphadenopathy (71,4%), edema (52,4%) and peripheral desquamation (46,3%) were reported. Eight patients presented ecocardiography alterations (ectasia and aneurism). Acute articular involvement was reported in 7 (16%) patients, including oligoarticular (57%), monoarticular (29%) and polyarticular (14%) patterns. All patients had elevation of acute phase reactants with neutrophilia (57%) and hypoalbuminemia (71,5%), but showed a good therapeutic response to intravenous immunoglobulin, without sequelaes. Sixteen patients had incomplete KD nine males, with 100% of fever exanthema (75%), conjunctivitis (56%) and 50% of cervical lymphadenopathy. Whereas oropharingeal changes and edemas was described in 44% and 25% of them. Four patients with incomplete KD had coronary artery abnormalities.

CONCLUSIONS: Acute arthritis was an uncommon finding (16%) and resulted in no sequelae. Maybe the treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin prevents the development of articular abnormalities and then leading to a decrease in its follow-up requierement by reumathologist. The cardiovascular sequelae, mainly incomplete KD, remains determining its prognosis. The presence of articular involvement seems not to have influence over cardiac involvement.