Three cases of young children who underwent effective catheter treatment for severe coronary stenosis caused by Kawasaki disease.

Three patients, aged 2 years 0 months, 2 years 2 months, and 6 years 1 month at the time of plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA), developed an aneurysm in the left anterior descending coronary branch after suffering from Kawasaki disease. POBA was subsequently performed due to 99 % stenosis proximal to the aneurysm. There was no restenosis within a few years after percutaneous coronary intervention, and there was no evidence of ischemia, although 75 % restenosis occurred in two patients after 7 years. Although calcified lesions are more likely to occur 6 years after the onset of Kawasaki disease, none of the patients in this study had calcified lesions within 4 years of Kawasaki disease onset, and good results were obtained with POBA alone. POBA can be safely performed in children and is an effective treatment for improving myocardial ischemia if calcification has not progressed. Plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA) can be performed effectively and safely for Kawasaki disease coronary artery stenosis in early childhood if calcification is minimal, with little restenosis for at least several years. POBA is a useful tool in the treatment of coronary artery stenosis in early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]