Kawasaki Disease

About Kawasaki Disease:

• It is also known as Kawasaki syndrome or mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
• It is a rare disease that causes fever and inflammation of the blood vessels, mainly in children under 5 years of age.
• It is one of the most common forms of acquired heart disease in children.
• The condition causes the immune system to attack blood vessels, which become inflamed and swollen.
• It tends to affect the coronary arteries, which carry blood to the heart muscle. It can also cause problems with lymph nodes, skin and the lining of a child's mouth, nose and throat.
• Symptoms: Clinical signs include fever, rash, swelling of the hands and feet, irritation and redness of the whites of the eyes, swollen lymph glands in the neck, and irritation and inflammation of the mouth, lips, and throat.
• The disease was first described in Japan by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967 and the first cases outside of Japan were reported in Hawaii in 1976.
• The cause of Kawasaki disease is unknown, although more cases happen in late winter and early spring.