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Usefulness of Transthoracic Echocardiography to Detect Coronary Aneurysm in Young Adult: Two Cases of Acute Myocardial Infarction Due to Kawasaki Disease
Author(s) -
Shiraishi Jun,
Harada Yoshiaki,
Komatsu Sumio,
Suzaki Yoko,
Hosomi Yasuo,
Hirano Shinji,
Sawada Takahisa,
Tatsumi Tetsuya,
Azuma Akihiro,
Nakagawa Masao,
Matsubara Hiroaki
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
echocardiography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1540-8175
pISSN - 0742-2822
DOI - 10.1111/j.0742-2822.2004.02151.x
Subject(s) - medicine , kawasaki disease , myocardial infarction , cardiology , angioplasty , aneurysm , culprit , coronary artery disease , radiology , coronary artery aneurysm , coronary arteries , intravascular ultrasound , artery
Transthoracic echocardiography is useful for evaluation of the coronary arteries in infants and children with Kawasaki disease. In adults, however, transthoracic echocardiography often cannot detect or accurately estimate coronary artery lesions. We describe two young adults admitted for a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction ascribed to Kawasaki disease and treated by angioplasty. Coronary aneurysms were not evident in either patient at the time of angioplasty. However, follow‐up transthoracic echocardiography revealed coronary aneurysms at the culprit lesions. On follow‐up angiograms, we identified a new coronary aneurysm in the first patient, and a regressed coronary aneurysm in the second, confirmed by intravascular ultrasound imaging. These cases suggest that transthoracic echocardiography plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of young adults with acute myocardial infarction due to Kawasaki disease. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 21, February 2004)