Kawasaki disease in Oman--a clinical study

A total of 39 patients were diagnosed to have Kawasaki disease by the standard diagnostic criteria, at The Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman, during the period January 1995 to August 2002. A retrospective analysis of the case records of the patients with the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease was done. The results of the clinical features and the laboratory manifestations of the patients, who are from the Middle East region, are presented. The peak age at presentation was 6-30 months, mean 29 months. Peak months of the occurrence of the disease were March and October. Oral lesions were found in all cases. The mean duration of hospital stay for these patients was 8.5 days, range 2-21 days. The total duration of fever ranged from 6 to 21 days, with a mean value of 9.4 days. An elevated erythrocytic sedimentation rate (ESR; 91.7 per cent) and a raised C-reactive protein (C-RP; 92.3 per cent) were the most significant laboratory findings. Echocardiographic abnormalities were found in 25 per cent of cases, the incidence of coronary artery involvement (dilatation with or without stenosis) being 12.5 per cent. High dose intravenous immunoglobulin (2 g/kg over a 12-h period) plus aspirin therapy was found to be safe and effective in patients with Kawasaki disease.