THE DETECTION OF VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION AND CARDITIS IN CHILDREN WITH KAWASAKI-DISEASE USING EQUILIBRIUM MULTIGATED BLOOD POOLING VENTRICULOGRAPHY AND TC-99(M)-HMPAO-LABELED WBC HEART SCANS

Thirty-seven children (11 girls, 26 boys; aged 2.8 +/- 2.2 years) with Kawasaki disease (KD) were included in the study. The biventricular f unctions were evaluated by equilibrium multigated blood pooling ventri culography (EMBPV) and the severity of carditis was decided by Tc-hexa methylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) labelled white blood cell (WBC) hea rt scans (Tc-WBC). The results showed that 43% (16/37) of the KD cases with the severe carditis by Tc-WBC had the worst left ventricular eje ction fraction (LVEF) (55.4 +/- 15.6%) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) (43.7% +/- 12.2%) by EMBPV; 24% (9/37) of the cases wi th the mild carditis had the best LVEF (63.5% +/- 8.2%) and RVEF (53.7 % +/- 11.2%); the remaining 32% (12/37) had moderately severe carditis and biventricular function (LVEF: 58.2 +/- 17.2% and RVEF: 46.9 +/- 1 9.5%). Because Tc-WBC cannot only detect the severity of carditis but also predict impairment of ventricular function accurately, the choice of Tc-WBC should be preferable for KD - a common inflammatory cardiov ascular disease in children.