Advances in cardiac imaging techniques and risk categorization have led to improvements in diagnosis, initial treatment and long-term management of patients with Kawasaki Disease, according to a new scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation . The new statement, "Update on Diagnosis and Management of Kawasaki Disease," summarizes the data published since the 2017 American Heart Association Scientific Statement on Kawasaki Disease related to diagnostic criteria, risk scores and treatment options for children and adults with this condition. Statement highlights include: Kawasaki Disease is a rare but serious illness primarily affecting children younger than five years old.
The disease can cause inflamed blood vessels throughout the body, and it is the leading cause of acquired (not congenital) heart disease in children throughout the developed world. Although the cause of Kawasaki Disease is still unknown, however, there is a strong suspicion that the cause is infectious but no single infectious agent has been implicated. Health care professionals diagnose Kawasaki Disease based on a set of well-established symptoms, including prolonged fever, rash, reddened eyes and swelling of the hands and feet.
Without timely treatment, one in four children can develop coronary artery dilation and/or coronary artery aneurysms. Health care professionals use coronary artery Z-scores, a measurement that compares the coro.