OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of evaluation,treatment and follow-up of Kawasaki coronary artery disease based on the clinical severity classification.

METHODThis study evaluated 52 patients admitted to the Children's Hospital of Fudan University between July 2005 and December 2013 who were diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease with coronary artery disease.Inclusion criteria were a disease course of more than two months, initial echocardiography showing severity of grade IV and above, and confirmation of disease severity by angiography. Of those studies, 44 were male and eight were female, aged 6 to 142 (average 41) months. Treatment was planned according to protocols in "Suggestions for Management of Kawasaki Coronary Artery Disease" with follow-up. Those patients with grade IV and above confirmed by angiogram were given oral low-dose asprin and warfarin, and those with grade Vb were given coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) after comprehensive evaluation. Analysis was carried out for diagnosis, treatment, complications, and results of follow-up.

RESULT(1) Satisfied images were shown by the angiography of all 52 cases. Forty five patients (86%) had giant aneurysm or multiple aneurysms, with thrombosis found in 10 of 45 patients (22%). Coronary artery lesions occurred in 138 coronary branches, and more common in left anterior descending branch (47 branches, with incidence 34%) and right coronary artery (48 branches, with incidence 35%). There were no complications during or after angiography. (2) After angiography, 49 patients remained at grade IV or above, and three improved to grade III. Ultimately, clinical severities of coronary artery disease included three patients at grade III, 31 patients at grade IV, nine patients at grade Va, and nine patients at grade Vb. (3) Thirty-eight patients were properly using aspirin and warfarin, and two patients with severely elevated international normalized ratio (INR) levels presented with knee joint and gastric hemorrhage, both of which were treated successfully.Patients with INR levels between 1.5 and 2.5 did not show signs of hemorrhage. (4) In follow-up visits between 6 months and 8 years, one patient had representation of thrombosis on angiography, but did not lead to coronary stenosis; four patients were improved from grade IV to either grade III or II. The remaining showed no new thrombotic formation or stenosis. (5) Of the nine grade Vb patients, five underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The youngest of these patients, a 22 months old girl, died intraoperatively. The remaining four recovered postoperatively and were followed up for 8 to 90 months. One patient had a preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of only 32.8%, with LVEF remaining abnormal post-CABG, between 35% and 44%. The remaining three patients had normal heart size, cardiac function, and electrocardiogram.Of the other four grade Vb patients, two were contraindicated for surgery due to severe heart failure and loss of myocardial activity. Two other cases are being followed up closely due to their young age of 9 months.

CONCLUSIONCoronary angiography is safe and efficacious in children, and even in infants.It is the current gold standard tool for grading Kawasaki coronary artery disease. Proper anticoagulation therapy can markedly decrease the incidence of coronary artery occlusion in patients with Kawasaki coronary artery disease. Safe ranges of corrected INR should be between 1.5 and 2.5 after taking warfarin. CABG is an effective treatment for severe coronary artery disease with myocardial ischemia.