Is Varicella Zoster Virus an Etiologic Factor in Kawasaki Disease? A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD), also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, was first described by Tomisaki Kawasaki in 1967.1 KD is markedly more prevalent in Japan and in children of Japanese ancestry, with an annual incidence of ~112 cases per 100 000 children less than 5 years of age. In the United States, 4248 hospitalizations associated with KD occurred in 2000, with a median age of 2 years. KD is more common during the winter and early spring months, and 76% of children are <5 years old. Infectious agents may be implicated either as triggering causes or as additional factors that could aggravate the immune response. Further investigation of infectious agents such as varicella zoster virus could provide a useful clue for the etiology of KD, although the mechanisms of pathogenesis are still unclear. Herein we report a pediatric case who developed KD and fulfilled all the criteria for the diagnosis of KD. The diagnosis of varicella infection was made by serological and pathological evidence.