Advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease in children

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD), also known as cutaneous mucosal lymph node syndrome, is an acute self limiting vasculitis of unknown cause. The disease was first found in Japanese children in 1967 and its characteristic clinical features were described. The typical clinical symptoms of Kawasaki disease include fever ≥ 5 days, bilateral non suppurative conjunctivitis, rash, cervical lymphadenopathy and changes of skin and mucosa. These characteristics are still the main basis for the diagnosis of KD. However, the listed clinical features are not unique to KD, and other diseases can also have the above-mentioned clinical manifestations. Therefore, KD cannot be diagnosed only by clinical features. However, timely diagnosis and treatment is the key to reduce the incidence of related heart diseases. About 25% of untreated KD children develop coronary artery aneurysms (CAA). At present, KD is an important cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United States. For the treatment of KD, most studies recommend high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), which can significantly reduce the incidence of cardiac involvement. In recent years, with the continuous progress of relevant diagnosis and treatment technology, the diagnosis and treatment of KD has made great progress. This study reviews the relevant literature and briefly summarizes the clinical diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease in children, in order to provide some reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of KD.