noun
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 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....
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Symptoms of Kawasaki disease include a fever greater than 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) for five or more days. And the child has at least four of the following symptoms.
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.
It's best to start treatment for Kawasaki disease as early as possible, when your child still has a fever. Treatment for Kawasaki disease often happens in a hospital. The goals of treatment are to lower fever, reduce swelling and prevent heart damage.
Treatment for Kawasaki disease can include:
Gamma globulin. A protein called gamma globulin is given through a vein. This treatment lowers inflammation in the bloo...
For informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
© Mayo Clinic
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