This is a condition in which inflammation (swelling) in the small and medium blood vessel walls occurs. Through these vessels, the blood goes throughout the body. Commonly, this condition impacts heart arteries in children but can affect adults too. However, the heart arteries are responsible for supplying the heart with oxygen-rich blood.
This condition is known as Kawasaki disease but sometimes is called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. The second name goes from swelling in the glands (lymph nodes and mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose, and throat).
High fever, swollen hands and feet, skin peeling, red eyes, and tongue are the common symptoms that appear in children with Kawasaki disease. However, with early diagnosis and treatment, you can reduce previous symptoms and prevent long-term complications.
Symptoms
One of the most common symptoms is a fever higher than 102.2 F (39 C) degrees that lasts for more than 5 days. Children with this condition experience at least 4 of the following symptoms. Examples include:
- Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
- Swollen and red tongue
- Red, dry, and cracked lips
- Very red eyes with discharge
- Rash on the primary body part or genital area
- Red and swollen skin on the hands and feet
The symptoms of Kawasaki disease usually do not appear at the same time, inform your doctor about symptoms that disappeared. Check below other symptoms that could also happen in children with this disease:
- Joint pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fussiness
- Abdominal pain
In some cases, children may experience less than 4 symptoms required for Kawasaki disease diagnosis. Thus, doctors call the condition in such cases as incomplete Kawasaki disease and children still have an increased risk of damage to the heart arteries. Such children require treatment within 10 days of when symptoms occur.
In addition, Kawasaki disease can provoke symptoms similar to those of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (this health condition happens in children with COVID-19).
If the symptoms in your children last more than 3 days, you should immediately contact your healthcare professional. Moreover, without treatment, your children can experience damage to the heart arteries.
Causes
However, experts do not know the cause of Kawasaki disease but they do not believe it spreads from one person to another. Some healthcare providers think this disease occurs after a bacterial or viral infection or is linked to certain factors in the environment. In any case, gene changes also could play a role.
Risk Factors
The following factors are known to elevate the risk of Kawasaki disease. Examples include:
- Age – Children under 5 years old are more prone to develop this condition.
- Sex – Men and people assigned to male at birth (AMAB) are more likely to experience Kawasaki disease.
- Ethnicity – An increased risk of getting Kawasaki disease has children of Asian or Pacific Islander descent.
Mostly, this condition happens seasonally. For instance, in North America and other countries with similar climates, it occurs in the winter and early spring.
What Are The Potential Complications of Kawasaki Disease?
For children who live in developed countries, this condition is one of the leading causes of heart disease. However, with treatment, it is less probably to experience long-term damage. Check below some heart complications that could occur due to Kawasaki disease:
- Swelling of the heart muscle
- Heart valve issues
- Blood vessels swelling (mostly arteries that send blood to the heart)
Previous complications cause damage to the heart, which can lead to aneurysm (a condition in which a bulge appears in the artery wall due to swelling of the heart arteries). Moreover, these aneurysms increase the risk of blood clots, which can cause myocardial infarctions or bleeding inside the body. In rare cases, Kawasaki disease causes death.
Diagnosis
Commonly, it is challenging to diagnose this condition because there are no tests to determine whether you have this condition or not. Therefore, physicians will perform different tests to exclude other diseases that cause similar symptoms. Check below some conditions:
- Toxic shock syndrome
- Measles
- Some diseases provoked by ticks (such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever)
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a disease of the mucous membranes)
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- Scarlet fever
Check below some tests used to rule out other health problems:
- Blood tests – These tests help doctors exclude other conditions with similar symptoms and measure blood cell count. If you have an increased amount of white blood cells, anemia, and inflammation, it may mean you have Kawasaki disease.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) – This is a painless and quick test used to measure the electrical activity of the heart. Doctors will see how your heart beats and if you have irregular heartbeats also means you may have this disease.
- Echocardiogram – This is a test in which sound waves are used to make detailed pictures of the heart in motion. Hence, physicians can see how blood flows through the heart and its valves. Furthermore, an echocardiogram can identify if a person has problems with heart arteries.
Treatment
The treatment goal is to reduce the symptoms and prevent long-term complications. That’s why it is advised to start the treatment as soon as possible (when children still have a fever). Children with Kawasaki disease usually get treatment usually in the hospital.
Medicines
Check below some treatment options usually used to treat Kawasaki disease:
- Gamma Globulin – This is a protein given IV (intravenously) to reduce inflammation of the blood vessels. It also helps to decrease the risk of heart artery problems. With this treatment, the children will notice improvements within 12 days. In any case, heart complications may last longer.It is advised to wait at least 12 months until your child will get live vaccines (such as chickenpox or measles vaccine) because gamma globulin can affect how well the vaccines will work.
- Aspirin – Physicians usually recommend high doses of Aspirin because they will help to get rid of inflammation, and reduce pain, joint swelling, and fever. The dose can be reduced once the fever disappears for at least 2 days.In other cases, Aspirin should not be administered by children because this medicine is linked with a dangerous condition called Reye’s syndrome. Moreover, if a child experiences chickenpox or flu during treatment, Aspirin should no longer be used.
After treatment, your child should administer low doses of Aspirin for at least 6 weeks and even longer if there are heart problems. This medicine helps to prevent blood clots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is one of the most common complications of Kawasaki disease?
The most common Kawasaki disease complication is aneurysms of the coronary arteries. With treatment, the risk of this complication decreases to about 5%.
What are the stages of Kawasaki disease?
This condition is divided into three stages including acute, subacute, and convalescent. Discuss with your healthcare professional for more details.
What is the most effective treatment for children with Kawasaki disease?
The primary treatment for this disease is IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin). It is considered one of the most effective treatments in preventing heart damage for long periods. Ask your healthcare professional if you have additional questions.
