A little info about Kawasaki disease.
Kawasaki disease causes swelling, called inflammation, in the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body.
Kawasaki disease most often affects the heart arteries in children. Those arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
Kawasaki disease is a leading cause of heart disease in children who live in developed countries. But, with treatment, few children have lasting damage.
Heart complications include:
- Swelling of blood vessels, most often the arteries that send blood to the heart.
- Swelling of the heart muscle.
- Heart valve problems.
Any of these complications can damage the heart. Swelling of the heart arteries can weaken them and cause a bulge in the artery wall, called an aneurysm. Aneurysms raise the risk of blood clots. These can lead to a heart attack or cause bleeding inside the body.
Kawasaki disease is sometimes called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. That's because it also causes swelling in glands, called lymph nodes, and mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose, eyes and throat.
Children with Kawasaki disease often have high fever, swollen hands and feet with skin peeling, and red eyes and tongue. No one knows what causes Kawasaki disease. But experts don't believe the disease spreads from person to person. Some think that Kawasaki disease happens after a bacterial or viral infection, or that it's linked to factors in the environment. Certain genes might make children more likely to get Kawasaki disease.
The goals of treatment are to lower fever, reduce swelling and prevent heart damage. Treatment includes special medications that help lower inflammation in the body, frequent monitoring and testing to watch for any heart damage.
