INFLIXIMAB IN THE TREATMENT OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN-RESISTANT KAWASAKI DISEASE

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic disease characterized by predominant damage to small and medium-sized arteries with the development of destructive-proliferative vasculitis, damage to the coronary arteries (CA) and other visceral arteries manifested by fever, changes in the mucous membranes, skin, and lymph nodes. The initial KD therapy is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) at a dose of 2 g/kg coupled with acetylsalicylic acid. However, 10% to 38% may be resistant to standard therapy. There are no uniform recommendations for the management of patients with immunoglobulin-resistant KD. Possible therapies include repeated IVIG, high-dose glucocorticoids, genetically engineered biological drugs and other cytostatic drugs. Authors represent a clinical case of a 4-month-old boy with a complete form of KD, giant CA aneurysms and a resistance to the previous 4 courses of immunomodulatory therapy (2 courses of IVIG, etanercept, pulse therapy with methylprednisolone) with the effective use of the tumor necrosis factor alpha blocker, infliximab.