Kawasaki disease explained

Kawasaki disease is an illness that involves the skin, mouth, and lymph nodes, and most often affects kids under age 5. Death of famous actor John Travolta's son is bringing more information to light about a rare disease. Kawasaki disease occurs in 19 out of every 100,000 kids in the United States. It is most common among children of Japanese and Korean descent, but can affect all ethnic groups. Kawasaki disease occurs more often in boys than girls. The cause is not known. Microorganisms and toxins have been suspected, but none has been identified to date. Genetic factors and the immune system may play a role.

Symptoms: The signs and symptoms of Kawasaki disease appear in phases.

First Phase:

• A persistent fever higher than 104° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) and lasts for at least 5 days.
• severe redness in the eyes
• a rash on the stomach, chest, and genitals
• red, dry, cracked lips
• swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps
• sore, irritated throat
• swollen palms of the hands and soles of the feet with a purple-red color
• swollen lymph nodes

Second phase:

• Peeling of the skin on the hands and feet, especially the tips of the fingers and toes, often in large sheets
• Joint pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain

Third phase: In the third phase of the disease, signs and symptoms slowly go away unless complications develop.

It can cause serious complications of the heart and the blood vessels that supply the heart. Some of the complications of Kawasaki disease may be life-threatening. The condition is not preventable, but it's treatable in most cases. Most children recover from Kawasaki disease without serious problems.

Treatment: Most children with Kawasaki disease recover with no problems, with or without treatment. It's important to contact your child's doctor if your child has signs or symptoms of this disease. Without treatment, Kawasaki disease can last from two to 12 weeks. With treatment, your child may start to improve within 24 hours. Medicines: The goals of initial treatment are to lower fever and inflammation and prevent heart damage. Your child's doctor may recommend: Aspirin. High doses of aspirin can reduce the fever, rash, joint inflammation and pain and help prevent blood clots from forming. Gamma globulin. Infusion of gamma globulin (an immune protein) through a vein (intravenously) can lower the risk of coronary artery abnormalities.

Once the fever subsides, your child may need to take low-dose aspirin for at least six to eight weeks and longer if he or she develops a coronary artery aneurysm. Aspirin helps prevent clotting. Monitoring heart problems: If your child has any indication of heart problems, your doctor may recommend follow-up tests to monitor heart health at regular intervals.

A child with a coronary artery aneurysm may require: Anticoagulant drugs. These medications, such as aspirin, warfarin and heparin, help prevent clots from forming. Coronary artery angioplasty. This procedure opens arteries that have narrowed to the point that they impede blood flow to the heart. Stent placement. This procedure involves implanting a device in the clogged artery to help prop it open and decrease the chance of re-blockage. Stent placement often accompanies angioplasty. Coronary artery bypass graft. This operation involves rerouting the blood around a diseased coronary artery by grafting a section of blood vessel from the leg, chest or arm to use as the alternate route.

Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. About one in five children with the disease develops heart problems, but fewer than half of them will have permanent damage.

If we study the case of John Travolta's son Jett, we can understand how dangerous this disease can be. Doctors diagnosed the 16-year-old with Kawasaki Disease when he was young. John Travolta has said in interviews that his son had Kawasaki disease when he was about 2 years old. In an interview with CNN's Larry King in 2001, Travolta expressed the opinion that the illness was brought on by Jett's overexposure to cleaning products, particularly carpet cleaner. Whatever the reason that caused his death all l can say is rest in peace Jett.

(Source: kidshealth.org, medicinenet.com, mayoclinic.com)