eMedicineLive

A study published in the May 6, 2011 issue of Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal states that the incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD) is higher in Filipino children of San Diego County. The study was led by scientists from Kawasaki Disease Research Center at the University of California, San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. The researchers found that though children from all ethnic groups can contract KD, the Filipino children who had contracted KD were at a higher risk of developing inflammation of the blood vessels.

KD is a febrile illness of children, first described by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967. It has now overtaken rheumatic fever as the main cause of development of acquired heart diseases in the U.S. among children who are less than 5 years old. Untreated KD can lead to cardiac involvement in 20-25 % patients which can prove fatal in 0.1- 2% cases. KD can lead to giant coronary artery aneurysms with resultant thrombosis and rupture causing sudden death. Myocardial infarction may develop as a consequence of coronary obstruction. Almost 50% of patients of KD have decreased left ventricular function. Other sequelae of KD include myocarditis, CCF, pericarditis with effusion and arrhythmias. Male children are more susceptible to develop KD and the initial symptoms include fever, conjunctival congestion, polymorphous exanthema, cracked lips and cervical lymphadenopathy.

The researchers studied 345 children in San Diego County who had KD and found that almost 24% of children with KD who were of a Filipino descent had aneurysms as compared to 10.5% of children of other ethnic groups. Quite often the symptoms of KD are misdiagnosed which results in an untreated disease leading to complications. Now, in the wake of the results of this study, health care providers would be more alert to the possibility of KD, especially in case of a febrile child of Filipino descent, so that the disease could be diagnosed and treated at the earliest. Similarly, parents in the Filipino community can be educated about the symptoms and possible complications of KD so that they seek prompt treatment.

Further studies may be taken up to determine the genetic causes of KD and to understand why the Filipino children stand a higher risk of developing the disease.

References:
• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/uoc--sff050611.php
• http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/965367-overview