Kawasaki Disease

Publication Date: March 5, 2022

Key Points

Key Points

  • Kawasaki disease (KD) is a medium vessel vasculitis, one of two primary common vasculitis syndromes that predominantly affect children (the other being Henoch-Schönlein purpura/IgA vasculitis).
    • KD typically presents in children under 5 years of age with an incidence in the US of 25–50/100,000, similar to that of type 1 diabetes.
    • KD treated appropriately is associated with a low rate of mortality (approximately 0.08% case fatality rate in the largest series).
    • However, in the developed world, KD is the most common cause of acquired cardiac disease in childhood, with 25% of untreated and 5% of treated cases developing coronary artery aneurysms.
    • In infants less than 6 months of age, the risk of a coronary artery aneurysm is 50% even in KD patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) within the first 10 days of illness.
  • These recommendations provide guidance regarding diagnostic strategies, use of pharmacologic agents, and role of echocardiography for patients with suspected or confirmed KD.

Definitions and Medications

...ons and Medications...

...Definitions for Selected Terms Used i...


Treatment and Diagnostic Testing

...ent and Diagnostic Testi...

...ble 3. Diagnostic Testing and Trea...

...ood Practice Statement: Intravenous immunoglob...

For patients with acute KD who are at high ri...

...patients with acute KD who are at high...

...patients with incomplete KD, prompt treatm...

...r patients with acute KD and suspected or...

...r patients with acute KD and persistent fevers af...

...ed Position Statement: For patients with acu...

...s with acute KD, using aspirin is strongly recomm...

...h acute KD with subsequent resolution of fevers,...

...r patients with acute KD with arthritis that...

...dditional diagnostic testing rec...

...children with suspected incomplete KD and f...

...ren with unexplained shock physiolo...

...dren with unexplained macrophage activation syndr...


...gure 1. Key Recommendations for the...