UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Kawasaki s Disease

Category: Pediatrics

Keywords: Kawasaki s, Coronary Artery Aneurysm, fever (PubMed Search)

Posted: 7/14/2007 by Sean Fox, MD (Updated: 12/26/2024)
Click here to contact Sean Fox, MD

Kawasaki s In the US, Kawasaki Disease is the leading cause of Acquired Heart Disease in Children (surpassing Acute Rheumatic Fever). ==> 15-25% of untreated pts develop coronary artery aneurysm or ectasia. Diagnosis is a clinical one. ==> 5 days of fever PLUS 4/5 clinical features (rash, inflammation of lips/mouth, bilateral conjunctivitis, edema or erythema of hands/feet, and peeling of fingers/toes). No lab values are diagnostic; however, they can strengthen clinical suspicion. ==> CRP and ESR are usually elevated. Thrombocytosis is also common after 1 week of illness. Symptoms are often transient and require careful history. Considered it in the DDx of every child with fever of at least several days duration, rash, and nonpurulent conjunctivitis, especially in children <1 year old and in adolescents, who often have incomplete Kawasaki Disease and are likely to be missed. Newburger, JW. Diagnosis, Treatment, and Long-Term Management of Kawasaki Disease. Circulation. 2004;110:2747-2771.