Predictors of Myocardial Ischemia in Patients with Kawasaki Disease: Insights from Patient-Specific Simulations of Coronary Hemodynamics

J Cardiovasc Transl Res. 2023 Oct;16(5):1099-1109. doi: 10.1007/s12265-023-10374-w. Epub 2023 Mar 20.

Abstract

Current treatments for patients with coronary aneurysms caused by Kawasaki disease (KD) are based primarily on aneurysm size. This ignores hemodynamic factors influencing myocardial ischemic risk. We performed patient-specific computational hemodynamics simulations for 15 KD patients, with parameters tuned to patients' arterial pressure and cardiac function. Ischemic risk was evaluated in 153 coronary arteries from simulated fractional flow reserve (FFR), wall shear stress, and residence time. FFR correlated weakly with aneurysm [Formula: see text]-scores (correlation coefficient, [Formula: see text]) but correlated better with the ratio of maximum-to-minimum aneurysmal lumen diameter ([Formula: see text]). FFR dropped more rapidly distal to aneurysms, and this correlated more with the lumen diameter ratio ([Formula: see text]) than [Formula: see text]-score ([Formula: see text]). Wall shear stress correlated better with the diameter ratio ([Formula: see text]), while residence time correlated more with [Formula: see text]-score ([Formula: see text]). Overall, the maximum-to-minimum diameter ratio predicted ischemic risk better than [Formula: see text]-score. Although FFR immediately distal to aneurysms was nonsignificant, its rapid rate of decrease suggests elevated risk.

Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics; Coronary artery aneurysm; Fractional flow reserve; Kawasaki disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Coronary Aneurysm* / diagnostic imaging
  • Coronary Aneurysm* / etiology
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Artery Disease* / complications
  • Coronary Artery Disease* / etiology
  • Coronary Stenosis*
  • Coronary Vessels / diagnostic imaging
  • Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial*
  • Hemodynamics
  • Humans
  • Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* / complications
  • Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* / diagnosis
  • Myocardial Ischemia* / complications
  • Myocardial Ischemia* / etiology