Kawasaki Syndrome

What is Kawasaki syndrome?

Kawasaki syndrome is a fever-causing illness of children. The cause of Kawasaki syndrome is unknown. Approximately 13 cases a year are reported in Wisconsin.

Who gets Kawasaki syndrome?

Most cases occur in infants and children under age five; the illness is rarely seen in children older than 8 years old.

How is Kawasaki syndrome spread?

Little is known about the way a person gets this syndrome or how it spreads. It does not appear to be transmitted from person to person.

What are the symptoms of Kawasaki syndrome?

All cases have a fever that does not respond to antibiotics. It lasts more than five days and is associated with a rash, swollen lymph nodes and red eyes, lips, throat and tongue. The rash is usually confined to the patient's trunk and is sometimes followed by a peeling of the skin on the hands and fingers.

Does past infection make a person immune?

Recurrences of the illness have been reported but they are extremely rare.

What is the treatment for Kawasaki syndrome?

Most patients are treated in the hospital where they can be closely watched. Aspirin and immune globulin are often prescribed.

What are the complications associated with Kawasaki syndrome?

The most frequent complication is coronary artery aneurysms (ballooning out of vessels in the heart). Other organs may become involved as well. Approximately 1-2 percent of cases die of the disease and its complications.

How can Kawasaki syndrome be prevented?

At the present time, preventive measures are unknown.

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.