Relationship between ocular involvement and clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and coronary artery dilatation in Kawasaki disease

OBJECTIVES: To assess the incidence of ocular manifestations of Kawasaki disease (KD) in children and to evaluate the relationship between ocular manifestations and the other clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and echocardiographic findings. METHODS: Complete ophthalmologic examination and echocardiography were performed in 36 patients with KD during the acute phase before starting the treatment. Clinical manifestations and laboratory data including white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were obtained from all the patients. All the clinical and laboratory findings were compared between the group with ocular involvement and the one without ocular involvement. RESULTS: The incidence of bilateral non-exudative conjunctivitis was 63.9%. It was significantly higher in patients with skin rashes (P < 0.05). The incidence of uveitis was 36.1%, which consisted primarily of grade 1+ or 2+ acute anterior uveitis. Neutrophil count and CRP levels were significantly higher in the uveitis group than in the group without uveitis (P < 0.05). Coronary artery dilatation showed significant correlation with uveitis (P < 0.05). Uveitis did not show a significant correlation with other clinical manifestations, ESR, ALT level, AST level, and platelet count (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In children with Kawasaki disease, uveitis is associated with coronary artery dilatation, higher neutrophil count, and higher CRP level.