“Kawasaki is characterized by systemic inflammation in all the medium-sized arteries and in multiple organs and tissues during the acute febrile phase, leading to associated clinical findings”. In addition to the classic clinical features used to diagnose Kawasaki disease (KD), the following findings are also associated with KD:
- Liver (hepatitis),
- Lung (interstitial pneumonitis),
- Gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, gallbladder hydrops),
- Meninges (aseptic meningitis, irritability),
- Heart (myocarditis, pericarditis, valvulitis),
- Urinary tract (pyuria),
- Pancreas (pancreatitis), and
- Lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy).
Inflammation of the coronary arteries results in the most important clinical outcomes.
Reference / Further Reading
Circulation. 2017 Apr 25;135(17):e927-e999. Diagnosis, Treatment, and Long-Term Management of Kawasaki Disease: A Scientific Statement for Health Professionals From the American Heart Association. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28356445. Full version article, here.