key: cord-0992842-auyiguml
authors: Urbano, Nicoletta; Scimeca, Manuel; Bonfiglio, Rita; Bonanno, Elena; Schillaci, Orazio
title: Possible role of 99mTC-Sestamibi scintigraphy in the follow-up of Kawasaki-like disease related to SARS-CoV-2
date: 2021-03-10
journal: Revista espanola de medicina nuclear e imagen molecular
DOI: 10.1016/j.remnie.2021.03.009
sha: ea9a25dd9c1ee448892b12a24371b21cdfe23d80
doc_id: 992842
cord_uid: auyiguml

nan

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included hearth, kidney, liver, central nervous system and gastrointestinal apparatus [1] . Thus, the SARS-CoV-2 infection is considered a systemic disease now.

The first epidemiological analyses of SARS-CoV-2 infection seemed to indicate a lower susceptibility to this infection for children. Nevertheless, most recent studies highlighted several SARS-CoV-2-related diseases in both children and young [1] . In particular, several health service in the world reported an increase of Kawasaki-like diseases in the areas with high incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection [2] .

In this scenario, in the Lancet Journal, Verdoni and colleagues [3] Our and other groups proposed the myocardial scintigraphy with 99 mTC-Sestamibi for cardiac evaluation of children affected by Kawasaki disease [4, 5] . In these studies, 99 mTC-Sestamibi scintigraphy displayed a sensitivity and specificity more of 90% in detecting coronary lesions even in small infants (from 1 year old) [4, 5] . This imaging evaluation could be very useful in the follow-J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f up of children affected by Kawasaki-like disease related to SARS-CoV-2 because it represents a non-invasive investigation capable to both detect obstructive cardiac lesions and, more important, identify aneurisms that generally causes long-term heart problems. Therefore, in our opinion it could be of interest, and even more important in the interest of patients, to include the 99 mTC-Sestamibi scintigraphy, as well as all useful diagnostic investigations, in the management of patients affected by Kawasaki disease during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In fact, the significant increase of the incidence of Kawasaki disease in pediatric age could lead to a higher percentage of childhood deaths (both immediately and in the long-term period).

In this dramatic pandemic, one of the most important priority for health systems and the scientific community must be to safeguard the health of the more fragile people and especially of our children.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: What we know

COVID19: potential cardiovascular issues in pediatric patients

An outbreak of severe Kawasaki-like disease at the Italian epicentre of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic: an observational cohort study

Noninvasive quantification of coronary endothelial function by SPECT imaging in children with a history of Kawasaki disease

Myocardial scintigraphy with 99mTc-sestamibi in children with Kawasaki disease

Conflict of Interest: Authors declare no competing interests.