Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 27, 2025
Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
Vijaya L Soma1, Gail F Shust1, Adam J Ratner1,2
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York University Grossman School of Medicine and Hassenfeld Children's Hospital.
Insights
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious COVID-19 complication. Early identification and varied management, from supportive care to immune modulation, are crucial for affected children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Immunology
- Critical care medicine
Background:
- Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a significant postinfectious complication associated with COVID-19.
- It presents with widespread inflammation affecting multiple organ systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current knowledge on MIS-C for clinicians.
- To aid in the identification and management of MIS-C cases.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature and clinical knowledge on MIS-C.
- Analysis of clinical presentations, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies.
Main Results:
- MIS-C commonly features fever, gastrointestinal issues, cardiac dysfunction, and hypotension.
- While resembling Kawasaki disease, MIS-C involves distinct inflammatory pathways.
- Diagnosis requires a broad approach due to overlapping symptoms with other conditions.
Conclusions:
- MIS-C management is variable, ranging from supportive care to aggressive immune modulation, tailored to illness severity.
- A multidisciplinary team approach is recommended for complex cases.
- Further research is needed on long-term outcomes and immunologic data to refine diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose Of Review:
Here we summarize current knowledge about multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a presumed postinfectious inflammatory condition that has emerged as an important COVID-19-associated complication, to help clinicians identify and manage cases.
Recent Findings:
Clinical presentation of MIS-C is dominated by significant inflammation. Fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiac dysfunction, and hypotension are common features. Kawasaki disease-like findings are common, but epidemiologic data and recent mechanistic studies suggest that distinct inflammatory pathways mediate Kawasaki disease and MIS-C. A broad diagnostic approach is recommended, given overlapping presentations between MIS-C and many other disease processes. Current management of MIS-C is highly variable, depending on illness severity, and can range from supportive care to aggressive immune modulation. A multidisciplinary approach with early involvement of multiple pediatric subspecialists is recommended for complicated cases.
Summary:
Several studies have described the clinical manifestations of MIS-C, but definitive diagnosis remains challenging. Robust information about long-term outcomes awaits further study, as do immunologic data to refine diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:27Myocarditis II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
01:24Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction