Evaluation of cardiac function by magnetic resonance imaging during the follow-up of patients with Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND: Although histopathologic studies suggest persistent myocardial abnormalities after Kawasaki disease (KD), the long-term effects on cardiac function remain to be revealed. We investigated biventricular volumes, function, and the presence of myocardial fibrosis by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during long-term follow-up of KD.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty patients with a history of KD (mean age, 16.9 years; 67% men; median interval after KD onset, 11.6 years) and 20 healthy control subjects (mean age, 17.9 years; 55% men) 12 to 24 years of age underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Biventricular end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, stroke volume, and ejection fraction were determined. Volumetric measurements were indexed for body surface area. Late contrast enhancement was used to detect areas of myocardial fibrosis. Biventricular volumes and function did not differ significantly between patients and control subjects. There were also no significant differences between patients with and without a history of left ventricular dysfunction resulting from KD-associated myocarditis or between patients with and without coronary artery aneurysms. Only those with prior ischemic heart disease had a significantly lower left ventricular ejection fraction compared with unaffected KD cases (left ventricular ejection fraction, 51% versus 57%; P=0.012). Late contrast enhancement was observed in only 2 patients with severe coronary artery aneurysms and was typical for myocardial infarction.

CONCLUSIONS: In this cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study evaluating the cardiac function of patients with KD at long-term follow-up, we did not observe a difference in cardiac function between KD patients and control subjects, except for a subgroup of patients with ischemic heart disease as a result of severe coronary artery pathology.