Kawasaki disease at the extremes of the age spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine outcomes of Kawasaki disease (KD) and to explore factors associated with poor clinical outcomes for patients diagnosed outside the age range of 1 to 4 years.

METHODS: A retrospective review of data for all patients seen between January 1990 and April 2007 was performed. Patients were stratified into 5 groups on the basis of age at diagnosis.

RESULTS: A total of 1374 patients were identified; 61 (4%) were <6 months of age at diagnosis, 114 (8%) 6 months to <1 year, 854 (62%) 1 to 4 years, 258 (19%) 5 to 9 years, and 87 (6%) >9 years. Patients <1 year of age and those >9 years of age were more likely to have coronary artery abnormalities than were patients diagnosed between 1 and 4 years of age. Patients diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 9 years were at the lowest risk. Patients at both extremes of the age spectrum were more likely to present with <4 of the classic KD features, but only those <6 months or >5 years of age were at increased risk of being diagnosed >12 days after illness onset. Patients <6 months of age had lower albumin levels, and those <1 year of age had higher white blood cell and platelet counts, all of which are known predictors of coronary artery abnormalities. Patients >9 years of age were less likely to receive intravenous immunoglobulin treatment.

CONCLUSION: Outcomes for children diagnosed with KD at either extreme of the age spectrum are suboptimal, although the associated factors are different.