Excerpt from Kawasaki Disease

Synonyms, Key Words, and Related Terms: Kawasaki disease, Kawasaki syndrome, KD, bilateral conjunctival injection, bilateral nonpurulent conjunctivitis, bilateral conjunctival erythema, mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome

Please click here to view the full topic text: Kawasaki Disease

Background

Kawasaki disease (KD), also known as Kawasaki syndrome, was first described in Japan in 1967 by the pediatrician Tomisaku Kawasaki.¹

Since its original description, Kawasaki disease has been reported worldwide in children of all ethnic origins. Originally, Kawasaki disease was believed to be an acute, self-limiting febrile disease with an excellent prognosis; however, subsequent reports indicated that nearly 2% of patients with Kawasaki disease died from the illness, usually as a result of secondary cardiac sequelae.

Pathophysiology

Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology that affects the small- and medium-sized blood vessels of the body, in particular, the coronary arteries.

Frequency

United States

The yearly incidence of endemic Kawasaki disease in the United States is 67 cases per 100,000 children who are younger than 5 years. Approximately 3,000 hospitalizations occur annually in the United States as a result of Kawasaki disease. Seasonal peaks occur in the spring and winter with a relative paucity of cases in the summer months.

International

The incidence in Europe is comparable to that of the United States. In Japan, where Kawasaki disease has the highest incidence, an estimated 5,000-6,000 cases occur annually.

Race

The incidence of Kawasaki disease remains the highest in children of Japanese descent, although the disease has now been reported in children of all ethnic origins.
In the United States, Kawasaki disease occurs most often in children of Asian ancestry, followed by African Americans. The lowest incidence is in whites.

Sex

The male-to-female ratio is approximately 1.5:1.

Age

Of all Kawasaki disease cases, 80% occur in children younger than 4 years, with most cases in the United States presenting in children aged 1-2 years.
In Japan, the highest incidence occurs in persons aged 6-12 months. Cases in children older than 14 years are rare.

Please click here to view the full topic text: Kawasaki Disease

We subscribe to the
HONcode principles of the
Health On the Net Foundation

Medicine is a constantly changing science and not all therapies are clearly established. New research changes drug and treatment therapies daily. The authors, editors, and publisher of this journal have used their best efforts to provide information that is up-to-date and accurate and is generally accepted within medical standards at the time of publication. However, as medical science is constantly changing and human error is always possible, the authors, editors, and publisher or any other party involved with the publication of this article do not warrant the information in this article is accurate or complete, nor are they responsible for omissions or errors in the article or for the results of using this information. The reader should confirm the information in this article from other sources prior to use. In particular, all drug doses, indications, and contraindications should be confirmed in the package insert. FULL DISCLAIMER