Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffKawasaki disease is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. About 1 in 5 children with the disease develops heart problems, but only a small percentage have lasting damage.
Heart complications include:
- Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis)
- Heart valve problems (mitral regurgitation)
- Abnormal heart rhythm (dysrhythmia)
- Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis), usually the coronary arteries, that supply blood to the heart
Any of these complications can damage your child's heart. Inflammation of the coronary arteries can lead to weakening and bulging of the artery wall (aneurysm). Aneurysms increase the risk of blood clots forming and blocking the artery, which could lead to a heart attack or cause life-threatening internal bleeding.
For a small percentage of children who develop coronary artery problems, Kawasaki disease is fatal, even with treatment.
- Kawasaki disease. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec19/ch286/ch286d.html#sec19-ch286-ch286c-1987. Accessed Dec. 7, 2010.
- Harnden A, et al. Kawasaki disease. British Medical Journal. 2009;338:1514.
- Baker AL, et al. Kawasaki disease. Circulation. 2008;118:e110.
- Wood LE, et al. Kawasaki disease in children. Heart. 2009;95:787.
- Kawasaki Disease. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4634. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Sundel R. Initial treatment and prognosis of Kawasaki disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 1, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on