Commentary 10.1172/JCI141718

Is multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children on the Kawasaki syndrome spectrum?

Rae S.M. Yeung1 and Polly J. Ferguson2

1Department of Paediatrics, Immunology and Medical Science, University of Toronto and Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

2Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.

Address correspondence to: Polly J. Ferguson, 200 Hawkins Drive, 2001 Boyd Tower, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. Phone: 319.467.5111; Email: polly-ferguson@uiowa.edu.

Find articles by Yeung, R. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar |

1Department of Paediatrics, Immunology and Medical Science, University of Toronto and Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

2Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.

Address correspondence to: Polly J. Ferguson, 200 Hawkins Drive, 2001 Boyd Tower, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. Phone: 319.467.5111; Email: polly-ferguson@uiowa.edu.

Find articles by Ferguson, P. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar |

First published July 30, 2020 - More info

J Clin Invest. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI141718.
© 2020 American Society for Clinical Investigation
First published July 30, 2020 - Version history

An alarming increase in children presenting with fever, hyperinflammation, and multiorgan dysfunction frequently requiring intensive care has been observed after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The illness resembles Kawasaki disease (KD), with coronary dilatation and aneurysm occurring in some. However, the cardiovascular manifestations were typically on the severe end of the KD spectrum, with cardiogenic shock a common presentation together with other features. This led to defining a unique syndrome named multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). In this issue of the JCI, Lee and Day-Lewis et al. and Diorio et al. explored the clinical profiles associated with coronavirus disease 2019 in children. We posit that while splitting MIS-C into a separate disease may aid clinical management decisions, lumping it into the KD pot may better serve to understand pathobiology.

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