LAUSR

INTRODUCTION Increasing recognition of paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PIMS) is a cause of concern. This study aimed to evaluate children with PIMS and compare the clinical and laboratory features of children with and without cardiac involvement. MATERIAL AND METHODS We conducted a prospective single-center study including 57 (male 37, 65%) patients with PIMS at a tertiary care hospital between November 2020 and March 2021. The mean age was 8.8 ± 4.5 years (range, 10 months-16.7 years). RESULTS The most frequent symptoms were fever (100%), abdominal pain (65%) and diarrhoea (42%). SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction and serology tests were positive in 3 (5%) and 52 (91%) patients, respectively. Eight patients required intensive care support. Nineteen patients (33%) had cardiac involvement (valvular regurgitation in 15, left ventricular systolic dysfunction in 11 and coronary artery dilation in 1). The presence and duration of cough and intensive care admissions were significantly higher in children with cardiac involvement than those without it. The cut-off values of troponin T, pro-brain natriuretic peptide (proBNP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) for predicting cardiac involvement were 11.65 ng/L (95% confidence interval [CI], 0,63-0,90; sensitivity, 0.63; specificity, 0.84; AUC: 0.775, p = 0,009), 849.5 pg/mL (95% CI, 0,54-0,86; sensitivity, 0.63; specificity, 0.63; AUC: 0.706, p = 0,009) and 39.8 pg/mL (95% CI, 0,54-0,85; sensitivity, 0.63; specificity, 0.60; AUC: 0.698, p = 0,023), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Cardiac involvement in children with PIMS is common. The risk of cardiac involvement can be predicted by troponin T, proBNP and IL-6 levels.