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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
[Long-term follow up of Kawasaki disease]
1Department of Pediatrics, Teikyo University School of Medicine.
Insights
Kawasaki disease patients require specific follow-up based on coronary artery condition. Early regression allows less intensive monitoring, while persistent aneurysms need specialist cardiac assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatrics
Context:
- Kawasaki disease can lead to coronary artery aneurysms, necessitating careful patient follow-up.
- Accurate assessment of the acute stage is crucial for determining appropriate long-term management strategies.
Purpose:
- To outline recommended follow-up protocols for patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease.
- To differentiate management strategies based on the presence and regression of coronary artery aneurysms.
Summary:
- Patients without coronary aneurysms or with aneurysms regressing within 30 days require routine echocardiography and ECG monitoring for up to five years. Aspirin and exercise restrictions are not needed for this group.
- Confirmation of aneurysm regression requires coronary angiography. Persistent aneurysms necessitate further assessment for stenosis and ischemia using advanced imaging techniques and ongoing specialist pediatric cardiac care.
Impact:
- Establishes clear guidelines for managing Kawasaki disease patients, potentially improving long-term cardiovascular health outcomes.
- Highlights the importance of advanced imaging and specialist follow-up for patients with persistent coronary artery abnormalities.
Abstract:
For the follow up of the patients with Kawasaki disease, it is important to know the patient's condition in acute stage. For this purpose, there is a card named "Kawasaki disease acute stage card". This card is available at the following site, although it is written in Japanese. http://www.kawasaki-disease.org/tebiki/card.html The cases of no coronary aneurysm and the cases, in whom the coronary aneurysm regressed to normal in 30 days, should be checked at one month, two months, six months, one year and five years after acute stage, using echocardiography and ECG and stress ECG if feasible. For this group, aspirin is not necessary during follow up, and restriction of physical exercise is not required. Regression of aneurysm should be confirmed by coronary angiography, as echocardiography is not sufficient for confirmation. The cases with remaining aneurysm should be assessed for possible stenosis and ischemia, using angiography and/or other imaging methods, including MRI, multi-slice CT, cardiac scintigraphy and other methods. These patients are supposed to be followed by pediatric cardiac specialists.
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