Kawasaki Disease (Paperback)

Kawasaki disease is a disease, largely of infants, which affects many organs, including the skin, mucous membranes, lymph nodes, and blood vessel walls, but the most serious effect is on the heart where it can cause severe aneurysmal dilations. Without treatment, mortality may approach 1%, usually within 6 weeks of onset. With treatment, the mortality rate is less than 0.01% in the U.S. There is often a pre-existing viral infection that may play some role in pathogenesis. The conjunctival and oral mucosa, along with the epidermis, become erythmatous. Edema is often seen in the hands and feet and the cervical lymph nodes are often enlarged. Also, some degree of fever is often noted. It was first described in 1967 by Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan