Incidence Of Kawasaki Disease In Northern European Countries
Pediatrics International, 06/25/2012
Salo E et al. – The incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD) in Northern Europe was constant over the study period and much lower than in Japan. There was a significant age difference between Northern European and Japanese KD patients that remains unexplained.
Methods- Data were obtained from discharge databases for hospitals in Finland, Norway, and Sweden from 1999-2009 and from nationwide epidemiologic surveys in Japan from 1998-2008.
- Annual incidence for each country was calculated using regional census data.
- During the 11-year period, 1,390 KD patients were recorded in the registries of the three Northern European countries.
- Average annual incidence rates per 100,000 children less than 5 years were: Finland 11.4, Norway 5.4, and Sweden 7.4.
- Overall, 86.4% of Japanese KD patients were less than 5 years compared to only 67.8% in the four Northern European countries (p<0.001).
