A case of recurrent Kawasaki disease

Abstract

Kawasaki disease is rare form of vasculitis especially affecting the coronary arteries of children under the age of five years. There is no known infectious agent of origination associated with the vasculitis. We report a case of recurrent Kawasaki disease, which makes it a more unusual event because the incidence of recurrent Kawasaki disease in the United States is 0.8%. The patient was a two-year, ten-month-old African-American female with a one-week history of high fever, sore throat, redness of both eyes, nasal congestion, swollen hands and feet, blotchy skin, and desquamation of the genital area. The child was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and started on treatment that included a dose of intravenous immunoglobulin and high-dose aspirin. Recurrent Kawasaki disease should be considered in children who present with a persistent fever of unknown origin for more than five days and have a previous history of Kawasaki disease. Kawasaki disease can cause dramatic effects on the cardiovascular system if not identified and treated promptly and aggressively. Compared with the initial presentation, recurrent Kawasaki disease has an increased risk of causing coronary artery aneurysms, thrombosis, rupture, myocarditis, pericarditis, and myocardial damage along with sudden death.