There are approximately 4,200 cases of Kawasaki disease in the United States each year, according to the Kawasaki Disease Foundation. Although the name of this condition that primarily strikes children sounds ominous, Kawasaki disease is usually treatable.
Identification
Kawasaki disease causes the arteries or blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to become inflamed. The condition also causes problems with the skin, lymph nodes and mucous membranes.
Significance
Approximately 80 percent of the patients who develop Kawasaki disease are under 5 years old, according to the Kawasaki Disease Foundation. The causes of Kawasaki disease are unknown, but doctors typically agree that the condition is not contagious, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Early Symptoms
During the first stage of the disease, symptoms include a fever of 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, very red eyes, a rash on the trunk and genitals, red and cracked lips, swollen tongue, swelling of the palms and soles as well as the lymph nodes in the neck.
Late Symptoms
Stage two of Kawasaki disease causes peeling skin, joint pain, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. During the third stage, the symptoms of Kawasaki disease slowly disappear, typically requiring no treatment.
Risks
About one in five children develops complications from Kawasaki disease, such as inflammation of the heart, leaking heart valves and arrhythmia. In very rare cases, these complications are fatal.
Treatment
For the majority of children, Kawasaki disease clears up on its own, but complications require medical treatment. To treat complications, doctors typically use anticoagulant medications like Warfarin and various kinds of heart surgery.
Tags: Kawasaki disease, according Kawasaki, according Kawasaki Disease, disease causes, Disease Foundation, doctors typically