ASYMPTOMATIC MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION IN KAWASAKI-DISEASE - LONG-TERM PROGNOSIS

Eight patients with Kawasaki disease who had sustained asymptomatic myocardial infarction 8-15 years ago (mean, 13.1 years) were reexamined by various noninvasive cardiac function tests to assess long-term prognosis. At present, electrocardiograms (ECGs) are normal in six patients. However, all eight patients had a prolonged preejection period (PEP) to left ventricular ejection time (LVET) ratio 30 s after amylnitrate (AN) inhalation. Six patients had perfusion defects by exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy, and two patients developed ST segment depression in treadmill exercise testing. These patients are symptom-free even though their physical activity has not been restricted. Yet they proved to have serious abnormalities suggesting sequelae of myocardial infarction or existing myocardial ischemia. Judging from the results of noninvasive cardiac function tests and recently performed coronary angiography, five of the eight patients require coronary bypass surgery.