Herma Heart Center physicians work closely with other pediatric physician experts at Children Hospital of Wisconsin to diagnose and treat all aspects of Kawasaki disease. Several diagnostic tests may be conducted to confirm Kawasaki disease. Treatment starts with strategies to help your child feel more comfortable by reducing fever and inflammation. Efforts to prevent clots and other heart effects may also be recommended, including regular monitoring for signs of aneurysm.
What is Kawasaki disease?
Kawasaki disease is the most common form of vasculitis that primarily affects children. The disease produces irritation and inflammation of many tissues of the body, including the hands, feet, whites of the eyes, mouth, lips, and throat. High fever and swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck also are characteristic of this illness. The inflammation is uncomfortable, but resolves with time. However, the main threat from Kawasaki disease comes from its effect on the heart and blood vessels. Heart-related complications can be temporary or may affect the child long-term. The coronary arteries, small vessels that take blood to the heart muscle, are affected in as many as 20 percent of children with Kawasaki disease if not treated with IVIG. Another name for Kawasaki disease is mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
How often does it occur?
Kawasaki disease is fairly common in the US. According to the American Heart Association, the illness is a major cause of heart disease in children. About 1,800 new cases are diagnosed in the US each year, and the incidence is on the rise. Kawasaki disease, together with acute rheumatic fever, is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the US and Japan.
Who is affected by Kawasaki disease?
Kawasaki disease occurs more often in Japan than in any other country. In the US, children of Asian or Asian American heritage are affected more often than other races, although Kawasaki disease can occur in any racial or ethnic group.
The vast majority of children who develop Kawasaki disease are under age 5. The average age child seen with the illness is 2 years old. It occurs in boys twice as often as in girls.
What causes Kawasaki disease?
It is not clear what causes Kawasaki disease. Scientists believe a virus may be responsible, but current research is still underway. Kawasaki disease does not appear to be contagious, nor does it appear to be hereditary. It was once thought that Kawasaki disease was linked to recent rug or carpet cleaning; however, no studies have shown this to be a cause of the disease.
It is rare for more than one child in a family to develop the disease. Less than 2 percent of persons with Kawasaki disease develop the disease more than once.
Why is Kawasaki disease a concern?
Kawasaki disease can be a very uncomfortable illness, since it causes fever, as well as irritation and inflammation in many tissues of the body. However, these symptoms usually run their course and resolve within a few weeks. The primary concern with Kawasaki disease is heart and blood vessel involvement.
The coronary arteries are the vessels that provide the heart muscle with an oxygen-rich blood supply. Kawasaki disease can weaken the wall of one or more of the coronary arteries, causing it to bulge or balloon out. This weakened, ballooned area is called an aneurysm.
Blood clots can form in the ballooned area and possibly block the blood flow through the coronary artery. When this happens, the heart muscle will no longer receive an adequate supply of oxygen-rich (red) blood, and the heart muscle can be damaged.
The illness may also cause the heart muscle (myocardium) to be irritated and inflamed, as well as the membrane covering the heart (pericardium). Irregular heart rhythms and heart valve problems may also occur with Kawasaki disease.
In most cases, the effects on the heart caused by Kawasaki disease are temporary, and resolve within five or six weeks. However, coronary artery problems may sometimes persist for longer periods of time.
What are the symptoms of Kawasaki disease?
The following ar