Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in a young adult survivor with sequelae of childhood Kawasaki disease: A case report

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute type of systemic vasculitis involving small to medium-sized muscular arteries and outbreaks during childhood. KD can cause myocardial ischemia, infarction, and sudden cardiac arrest. We present a case of a young adult survivor of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as late KD sequelae. CASE SUMMARY: A 29-year-old man with presumed acute KD history at the age of 5 suddenly lost consciousness while jogging and was diagnosed a sudden cardiac arrest by an emergency doctor. After about 10 min cardiopulmonary resuscitation, return of spontaneous circulation was achieved, and the patient was transferred to our hospital. A coronary computed tomography angiogram and coronary angiography revealed extensive calcifications of left anterior descending and right coronary artery aneurysms. The patient was an active individual who took exercise regularly and claimed no previous symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath on exertion. The most possible cause of his sudden cardiac arrest could be presumed as a thrombus within the coronary artery aneurysms. After that, a thromboembolism induced extensive ischemia, and this ischemia-induced arrhythmia led to a cardiac arrest. CONCLUSION: Few patients who suffer a late sequela of KD can survive from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Medications, surgical intervention, and active follow-up are extremely important for this patient to prevent occurrence of adverse events in the future.