Kawasaki Disease

For those of you who do not believe me when I say I had Kawasaki Disease when I was little take a gander if interested:

Kawasaki disease is a condition that primarily affects young children. It is believed to be caused by a non-contagious infection, although scientists are unsure of the exact cause. About 80 percent of cases occur in children under the age of 5, and boys are more likely to get it than girls.

Although a pathogen is suspected, scientists have been so far unable to identify the virus or bacterium that causes Kawasaki disease. Some recent research suggests that Kawasaki disease may be caused, in some children, by the New Haven coronavirus, a newly discovered virus related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. While clinical data appears to suggest a link between these illnesses, further testing is required to substantiate a relationship between the two.

Other studies have suggested a genetic component because siblings of affected children are more likely to develop Kawasaki disease than children in the same neighborhood. Also, people of Japanese descent are more likely to develop Kawasaki disease no matter where they live in the world. It does, however, affect children of all races, and between 1,500 and over 4,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States every year, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Some recent research suggests that Kawasaki disease may be caused, in some children, by the New Haven coronavirus, a newly discovered virus related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. While clinical data appears to suggest a link between these two illnesses, further testing is required to substantiate a relationship between the two.

During Kawasaki disease, the blood vessels may become inflamed. Kawasaki disease is a self-limiting disease, meaning that symptoms appear for a short while and disappear on their own. The disease has three specific phases, each associated with certain signs and symptoms. The most dangerous phase is the acute phase, which typically lasts from 10 to 14 days, depending on whether or how it is treated. Overall, Kawasaki disease usually lasts between six and eight weeks, although it may take a year or more for complete healing.

Kawasaki disease is rarely fatal. Less than 1 percent of treated children will die because of the disease. Among untreated children, up to 25 percent of children will experience coronary artery aneurysms in connection with the disease. This rate drops to 10 to 15 percent among children who are treated. A coronary artery aneurysm is a condition where part of the wall of the coronary artery bulges out, sometimes resulting in a heart attack. However, modern treatment techniques have reduced the rate of coronary aneurysm to about 5 percent. Throughout the disease course, however, various cardiac abnormalities may occur, including arrhythmias, damage to the heart valves, pericarditis, and other cardiovascular problems.

Kawasaki disease was first identified in Japan, where it is most common, in 1967 by a Japanese pediatrician named Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki. The medical term for the condition is mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. Prior to Dr. Kawasaki’s description, some infants and children with this condition were said to have a condition called infantile periarteritis nodosa.

There is no known prevention for Kawasaki disease, although physicians have developed ways to treat the disease. Successful treatment depends on rapid diagnosis and action. If treated within the first 10 days, the potential cardiovascular damage from Kawasaki disease can be dramatically limited.