Clinical characteristics of Kawasaki disease with sterile pyuria

PURPOSE Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis and affects many organ systems. It often presents sterile pyuria, microscopic hematuria, and proteinuria due to renal involvement. The aims of this study were to define clinical characteristics of acute KD patients with pyuria and to analyze meaning of pyuria in KD. METHODS The medical records and laboratory findings including serum and urine test of 133 patients with KD admitted to Yeungnam University Hospital from March 2006 to December 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS Forty patients had sterile pyuria and their clinical characteristics including age, gender and body weight were not significantly different with those who did not have pyuria. Fever duration after treatment was significantly longer in KD patients with pyuria. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and serum concentration of alanine aminotransferase were significantly higher in patients with pyuria. Hyponatremia and coronary artery lesion were seen more often in patients with pyuria but there was no significant difference. Also serum blood urea nitrogen was significantly higher in KD patients with pyuria. Urine β(2)-microglobulin was elevated in both patients groups and showed no difference between two groups. CONCLUSION We found more severe inflammatory reaction in KD patients with pyuria. We also found elevation of some useful parameters like β(2)-microglobulin that indicate renal involvement of KD through the urine test. Careful management and follow up will need for KD patients with pyuria and it is necessary in the future to study the specific parameters for renal involvement of KD.