Kawasaki disease (KD) is a medium vessel vasculitis with predilection for coronary arteries. Due to lack of a reliable confirmatory laboratory test, the diagnosis of KD is based on a constellation of clinical findings that appear in a typical temporal sequence. These diagnostic criteria have been modified from time to time and the most recent guidelines have been proposed by the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2017. However, several children may have incomplete or atypical forms of KD and the diagnosis can often be difficult, especially in infants and young children. In this review, we have detailed the steps involved in arriving at a diagnosis of KD and also highlight the important role of echocardiography in diagnosis and management of children with KD.
Objectives: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a multisystemic vasculitis with predominant mucocutaneous manifestations. Pulmonary involvement in KD is distinctly uncommon and is not commonly recognized. We describe our experience of managing children with KD wherein the initial presentation was predominantly pulmonary. Results: Of 602 children, 11 (1.83%) had a predominant pulmonary presentation of KD.Mean age at diagnosis of KD was 2.5 years. Fever, cough and respiratory distress were the presenting complaints in all patients. First sign of KD was noted at a mean duration of 14.5 days from the onset of symptoms. Periungual desquamation was the most common clinical sign (72.7%). Persistent fever in spite of antimicrobials, thrombocytosis, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels pointed toward a diagnosis of KD in our patients. Parenchymal consolidation was evident on chest X-ray in all patients, pleural effusion in six, empyema in three, and pneumothorax in two patients. Coronary artery abnormalities were evident in three patients. Intravenous immunoglobulin was given after a mean period of 22.4 days of onset of fever.
Conclusions:The diagnosis of KD is often delayed in children who have a predominantly pulmonary presentation. This can have adverse clinical consequences.
K E Y W O R D Scoronary artery abnormalities, intravenous immunoglobulin, Kawasaki disease, pneumonia
Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs) are a group of genetic defects characterized by abnormalities of one or more components of the immune system. While there have been several advances in diagnosis, management, and research in the field of PIDs, they continue to remain underdiagnosed, especially in the less affluent countries. Despite several limitations and challenges, India has advanced significantly in the field of PIDs in the last few years. In this review, we highlight the progress in the field of PIDs in India over the last 25 years, the difficulties faced by clinicians across the country, the current state of PIDs in India and the future prospects.
BackgroundChronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited defect in phagocytic respiratory burst that results in severe and life-threatening infections in affected children. Single center studies from India have shown that proportion of autosomal recessive (AR) CGD is more than that reported from the West. Further, affected patients have high mortality rates due to late referrals and difficulties in accessing appropriate treatment. However, there is lack of multicentric collaborative data on CGD from India.ObjectiveTo describe infection patterns, immunological, and molecular features of CGD from multiple centers in India.MethodsA detailed proforma that included clinical and laboratory details was prepared and sent to multiple centers in India that are involved in the care and management of patients with inborn errors of immunity. Twelve centers have provided data which were later pooled together and analyzed.ResultsOf the 236 patients analyzed in our study, X-linked and AR-CGD was seen in 77 and 97, respectively. Male female ratio was 172:64. Median age at onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 8 and 24 months, respectively. Common infections documented include pneumonia (71.6%), lymphadenitis (31.6%), skin and subcutaneous abscess (23.7%), blood-stream infection (13.6%), osteomyelitis (8.6%), liver abscess (7.2%), lung abscess (2.9%), meningoencephalitis (2.5%), splenic abscess (1.7%), and brain abscess (0.9%). Forty-four patients (18.6%) had evidence of mycobacterial infection. Results of molecular assay were available for 141 patients (59.7%)—CYBB (44.7%) gene defect was most common, followed by NCF1 (31.9%), NCF2 (14.9%), and CYBA (8.5%). While CYBA variants were documented only in Southern and Western parts of India, a common dinucleotide deletion in NCF2 (c.835_836delAC) was noted only in North Indian population. Of the 174 patients with available outcome data, 67 (38.5%) had expired. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was carried out in 23 patients, and 12 are doing well on follow-up.ConclusionsIn India, proportion of patients with AR-CGD is higher as compared to Western cohorts, though regional differences in types of AR-CGD exist. Clinical profile and mortality rates are similar in both X-linked and AR-CGD. However, this may be a reflection of the fact that milder forms of AR-CGD are probably being missed.
Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is predominantly seen in young children (<5 years). Diagnosis of KD is often delayed in older children and adolescents, leading to a higher risk of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs). There is a paucity of literature on KD in older children. Methods: Data were collated from a review of records of patients diagnosed with KD who were aged >10 years at the time of diagnosis, during the period from January 1994 to June 2019. Results: Eight hundred and sixty five patients were diagnosed with KD during this period. Of these, 46 (5.3%; 26 boys and 20 girls) were aged 10 years or older at the time of diagnosis. The median age at diagnosis was 11 years (range of 10-30 years). The median interval between the of fever and the diagnosis of KD was 12 days (range of 4-30 days). Eight patients (17.4%) presented with hypotensive shock. Coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) were seen in six patients (13.04%), and three patients had myocarditis. Patients with CAAs were found to have significantly higher median platelet counts and higher median C-reactive protein levels. First-line treatment included intravenous immunoglobulin. Adjunctive therapy was given in five patients (infliximab in four patients and steroids in one patient). The median time between the onset of fever and the administration of IVIg was 13.5 days (range of 6-2). The total duration of follow up is 2,014.5 patient-months. Conclusion: Diagnosis of KD in children older than 10 years is usually delayed, and these patients are thus at a higher risk of CAAs.
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