INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASONOGRAPHY OF AN ADOLESCENT BOY WITH A CORONARY-ARTERY ANEURYSM DUE TO KAWASAKI-DISEASE

A 14-year-old boy developed coronary aneurysms during the course of Ka wasaki disease, The vessel wall morphology of the coronary arteries wa s assessed by intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS). There was intim al thickening proximal to, within, and distal to a large coronary aneu rysm in the left anterior descending coronary artery only 18 months af ter the acute onset of Kawasaki disease. Intimal thickening without ca lcification is a new IVUS finding within a persistent coronary aneurys m. It may indicate that the healing process, via cell proliferation is continuing, with the risk of causing a stenosis.