[Clinical features of recurrent Kawasaki disease in 20 children].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of recurrent Kawasaki disease (KD) and the relationship of recurrent KD with coronary artery lesions.

METHODS: The medical data of 20 children with recurrent KD who were admitted to the Children's Hospital from January 1998 to May 2007 were retrospectively studied. Their clinical features were compared with those of children with initial KD.

RESULTS: The incidence of recurrent KD was 1.34% (20/1489). KD relapsed 2 months to 4.6 years (average: 1.2 years) after the first episode in the 20 children. Compared with the initial KD group, the clinical symptoms in the recurrent KD group were incomplete, complicated and less severe. The period of fever, platelet count, C-reactive protein and ESR were remarkably reduced in the recurrent KD group, but the incidence of coronary artery lesions increased significantly compared with the initial KD group (40% vs 25%; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The clinical symptoms of recurrent KD were incomplete in children. Recurrent KD was associated with an increased incidence of coronary artery lesions.