Kawasaki Disease Overview
Learn About Kawasaki Disease
Kawasaki disease is a sudden and time-limited (acute) illness that affects infants and young children. Affected children develop a prolonged fever lasting several days, a skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck (cervical lymphadenopathy). They also develop redness in the whites of the eyes (conjunctivitis) and redness (erythema) of the lips, lining of the mouth (oral mucosa), tongue, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet.
The causes of Kawasaki disease are not well understood. The disorder is generally regarded as being the result of an abnormal immune system activation, but the triggers of this abnormal response are unknown. Because cases of the disorder tend to cluster geographically and by season, researchers have suggested that an infection may be involved. However, no infectious agent (such as a virus or bacteria) has been identified.
In the United States and other Western countries, Kawasaki disease occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 children under 5 each year. The condition is 10 to 20 times more common in East Asia, including Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
A predisposition to Kawasaki disease appears to be passed through generations in families, but the inheritance pattern is unknown. Children of parents who have had Kawasaki disease have twice the risk of developing the disorder compared to the general population. Children with affected siblings have a tenfold higher risk.
Natasha Halasa is a Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist and an Infectious Disease provider in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Halasa and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Kawasaki Disease. Her top areas of expertise are Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), Flu, Parainfluenza, and COVID-19. Dr. Halasa is currently accepting new patients.
Isao Miyairi is a Pediatric Infectious Disease provider in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Miyairi and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Kawasaki Disease. His top areas of expertise are Rubella, Chickenpox, Parainfluenza, and Pertussis.
Kandarp Patel is a Cardiologist in Jackson, Tennessee. Dr. Patel and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Kawasaki Disease. His top areas of expertise are Angina, Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT), Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (AVNRT), and Atrial Tachycardia. Dr. Patel is currently accepting new patients.
Summary: This study evaluates the efficacy of the addition of prednisolone to conventional initial treatment (intravenous immunoglobulin \[IVIG\] plus aspirin) in reducing coronary artery lesion in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) .
Summary: The study investigators are interested in learning more about how drugs, that are given to children by their health care provider, act in the bodies of children and young adults in hopes to find the most safe and effective dose for children. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the PK of understudied drugs currently being administered to children per SOC as prescribed by their treati...
Published Date: September 01, 2015
Published By: National Institutes of Health