MYOCARDIAL CONTRAST ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY OF CORONARY-ARTERY LESIONS DUE TO KAWASAKI-DISEASE

In addition to coronary arteriography, myocardial contrast echocardiog raphy (MCE) was performed in 25 patients with coronary artery lesions due to Kawasaki disease, in order to investigate its validity in the e valuation of these lesions and its safety in children. The patients' a ges ranged from 1.0 to 15.9 years (mean, 8.6 years). Their coronary ar tery lesions included occlusion in 9 branches (9 patients), segmental stenosis in 9 (8 patients), localized stenosis in 16 (12 patients), an d dilated lesions without coexistent stenotic lesions in 5 patients. S even patients had coronary artery bypass grafts. Myocardial perfusion patterns of the stenotic lesions and coronary artery bypass grafts cou ld be clearly demonstrated by MCE. For the assessment of safety, elect rocardiograms obtained at the time of MCE and coronary arteriography i n 14 patients showed no significant difference in the findings between MCE and coronary arteriography. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transamina se, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, and creatine phosphokinase levels were measured before and 1 day after the procedur e in 14 patients who underwent MCE and coronary arteriography, and in a group of 14 patients who underwent coronary arteriography alone. No significant difference was noted between the values of the two groups. These results suggested that MCE can be utilized in the assessment of coronary artery lesions due to Kawasaki disease, and confirmed the sa fety of the procedure even in young children.