Characteristics of coronary flow velocity reserve on transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease

Whether the acute inflammation caused by Kawasaki disease will have an effect on the endothelial function of coronary arteries in the future is unknown. Methods: The coronary flow velocity reserve of the left anterior descending artery was examined by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in 189 patients (male 125, female 64) with a history of Kawasaki disease and 10 volunteers (control). Their ages ranged from 6 to 40 years (median 22 years). The patients were divided into nine groups based on the left anterior descending artery lesions. The coronary flow velocity reserve was measured by intravenous administration of adenosine triphosphate (0.15 mg/kg/minute) while fasting. The coronary flow velocity reserve was calculated as the ratio of hyperaemic to basal mean diastolic flow velocities. The respective groups were as follows: control, no coronary artery lesions (n = 39), no coronary artery lesions in the right coronary artery (n = 29), regression (n = 11), aneurysm at the bifurcation of the left coronary artery (n = 26), aneurysm of the left anterior descending artery (n = 15), localised stenosis <75% (n = 12), localised stenosis ≥75% (n = 17), segmental stenosis (n = 5) and coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 36). One-factor ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test was used to compare the coronary flow velocity reserve among the groups. Results: The coronary flow velocity reserve was significantly lower in the localised stenosis ≥75%, segmental stenosis and coronary artery grafting groups than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The endothelial function in the epicoronary artery was preserved in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease and dilated coronary artery lesions.