Latest research progress on multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children （MIS-C）, first reported by British pediatricians in April, 2020, is a disease associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2（SARS-CoV-2） infection and can cause multiple system damage, and its manifestations overlap with the clinical features of other childhood inflammatory syndromes, including Kawasaki disease, toxic shock syndrome and macrophage activation syndrome, etc. The development of MIS-C is closely related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In most cases, it can be considered as abnormal immune response following viral infection, similar to the symptoms of adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 a few days later. Current diagnostic criteria for MIS-C might be too broad so that children with different diseases can be included. MIS-C often occurs in older children, which is obviously different from Kawasaki disease in children under 5 years old. The main clinical manifestations of MIS-C were continuous high fever, obvious digestive tract symptoms, hemodynamic instability, myocarditis and increased inflammatory indicators, etc. As the pathogenesis of MIS-C is not clear, there is no specific treatment. However, the overall prognosis is excellent. At present, a large quantity of studies are required to deepen the understanding of MIS-C, assess the exact effect on children’s health, explore the optimal diagnosis and treatment and accurately evaluate clinical prognosis.