Cracking the Code: Overcoming the Challenges in Kawasaki Disease Treatment

Moderator(s)

• OH

  Olha Halyabar, MD

  Children's Hospital/Boston Medical Center
  Newton, Massachusetts, United States

  Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose
• AD

  Anita Dhanrajani, MBBS, MSc

  Manning Family Children's Hospital, Tulane School of Medicine
  New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

  Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose

Session Coordinator(s)

• PL

  Pui Lee, MD, PhD

  Boston Children's Hospital
  Newton, Massachusetts, United States

  Disclosure(s): Pfizer: Speaker/Honoraria (includes speakers bureau, symposia, and expert witness) (Terminated, January 31, 2025)

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that affects young children. Development of coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) is the most concerning complication of KD. While the use of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) has led to a significant reduction in the risk of developing CAA, a subset of patients is refractory to IVIG treatment and additional therapies are needed to abort the inflammatory process. This session will review the evidence for different treatment options for refractory KD. We will discuss current approaches to risk-stratify patients based on clinical and laboratory parameters for consideration of treatment intensification. 

Presentations:

• 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Central Time

  Beyond IVIG Treatment Strategies for Refractory KD
  

  Speaker: Rae Yeung, MD, PhD – The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
• 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Central Time

  Defining Who Needs to Get What: Risk Stratification in Kawasaki Disease Treatment
  

  Speaker: Mary Beth Son, MD – Boston Children's Hospital