Clinical characteristics and vascular involvement of Takayasu arteritis versus Kawasaki disease in infants and young children
Authors' conclusion
In young children, particularly female infants, who present with prolonged fever and a poor response to IVIG, c-TAK should be considered as an important differential diagnosis alongside IVIG-resistant KD.
Study context
- Population
- Patients under three years old diagnosed with c-TAK or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistant Kawasaki disease (KD), June 2016–December 2025
- Participants
- 144 participants
- Exposure
- Childhood-onset TAK vs IVIG-resistant Kawasaki disease
- c-TAKn = 43
- IVIG-resistant KDn = 101reference
- Outcome
- Clinical characteristics and vascular involvement
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Infants, c-TAK vs IVIG-resistant KD (P < 0.001)
- 85.7% vs. 29.7%
- Females, c-TAK vs IVIG-resistant KD (P < 0.001)
- 67.4% vs. 32.7%
- Fever duration, days, c-TAK vs IVIG-resistant KD (P < 0.001)
- 18 [9, 26] vs. 11 [9, 13]
- Lymphocyte counts, × 10⁹/L, c-TAK vs IVIG-resistant KD (P < 0.001)
- 7.09 [5.58, 9.02] vs. 2.92 [2.18, 3.91]
- Medium-to-giant coronary artery aneurysms, c-TAK vs IVIG-resistant KD (P < 0.001)
- 48.8% vs. 18.8%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Follow-up duration
P = 0.952
Complete resolution of vascular imaging abnormalities · final follow-up
- c-TAK patients receiving IVIG at baseline but with recurrent fever
- 76.7%
- Imaging features in c-TAK
- 95.3% · vessel wall thickening · dilation 79.1% · stenosis 41.9% · carotid involvement 79.1% · abdominal aorta involvement 69.8% · subclavian involvement 67.4% · coronary artery involvement 67.4%
- Coronary artery aneurysms in IVIG-resistant KD
- 29.7%
Original publication
Clinical characteristics and vascular involvement of Takayasu arteritis versus Kawasaki disease in infants and young children. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. Published 9 May 2026. doi:10.
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