Age-Dependent Variations in Clinical Presentation, Laboratory Parameters, and Coronary Outcomes in Kawasaki Disease: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of 480 Pediatric Patients in Eastern China
Retrospective cohort study reveals divergent symptoms and higher coronary complication rates in pediatric Kawasaki disease, highlighting the need for age-tailored diagnostic vigilance.
Key Points
To investigate age-dependent clinical characteristics and assess the impact of age on disease presentation and coronary outcomes in pediatric Kawasaki disease.
Retrospective cohort analysis of N=480 pediatric patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at Hangzhou First People's Hospital between 2013 and 2022.
Patients were stratified into two age cohorts (<2 years vs. 2–14 years) to evaluate clinical features, laboratory markers, and coronary artery abnormalities.
Older children experienced significantly longer time from symptom onset to diagnosis (z=-2.70, P=0.007) and higher rates of cervical lymphadenopathy (χ²=15.12, P<0.001), but fewer peripheral extremity changes (χ²=5.79, P=0.016).
Younger children (<2 years) had significantly elevated platelet counts (z=-3.57, P<0.001), alanine aminotransferase (z=-2.39, P=0.02), and NT-proBNP levels (z=-3.59, P<0.001).
Coronary artery dilatation (z=7.70, P=0.006) and aneurysm formation (z=14.63, P<0.001) were significantly more frequent in the younger cohort, though coronary artery recovery rates following intravenous immunoglobulin therapy did not differ significantly between groups (P>0.05).