Clinical Features of Kawasaki Disease during SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic, causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has rapidly spread worldwide. Recently, cases of Kawasaki-like syndrome associated with COVID-19 (MIS‐C/PIMS) have been reported in the USA and Europe. However, the clinical features of Kawasaki disease (KD) in Japan during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic remain unclear. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to evaluate the clinical features of KD in our department during the year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). Data were obtained from 45 KD patients who underwent acute-phase treatment from January 2018 to December 2020. The patients were divided into three groups: (1) 2018 group, in which 18 patients receiving acute-phase treatment during 2018; (2) 2019 group, in which 17 patients receiving acute-phase treatment during 2019; and (3) 2020 group, in which 10 patients receiving acute-phase treatment during 2020. The comparison of the clinical findings, treatments, and outcomes among the three groups (2018 vs. 2019 vs. 2020 group) revealed a significant difference in the rate of the male gender (72.2% vs. 41.2% vs. 10.0%, P < 0.010), recurrence (0.0% vs. 0.0% vs. 25.0%, P = 0.015), and coronary artery lesions (16.7% vs. 0.0% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.044). No patients required ventilation assistance or inotropic agents and met the diagnostic criteria of MIS‐C/PIMS. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the clinical features of KD during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.