The odds of developing heart damage in children with Kawasaki’s disease are reduced to a significant extent when steroids are added to the standard treatment.

The finding was revealed during a study in an issue of Pediatrics and highlights a gap in knowledge. It was emphasized by this study that the benefits of steroid treatment for Kawasaki’s disease are good enough to provide relief to the children with this complication.

From News-Medical.Net:

Current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics state that the evidence for steroid treatment is lacking and recommend the standard treatment for Kawasaki’s, which is aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

“This gap in knowledge led us to examine the benefits of steroids more closely. We looked at research worldwide and were surprised to find eight solid clinical trials showing the value of steroids in significantly reducing heart damage in children with Kawasaki’s disease. Steroids, when combined with aspirin and IVGB, reduced the odds of developing inflammation of the heart blood vessels by half,” said Stephen Aronoff, MD, lead author of the meta-analysis and Temple University School of Medicine professor and chair of pediatrics.

Kawasaki’s disease is one of the leading causes of acquired heart disease in children. The complication is treatable and the symptoms are red eyes, palms and foot soles, and swollen lymph nodes.

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