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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Driver is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She currently is in active practice in the field of rheumatology in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she is a partner in Mission Internal Medical Group.

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In this Article

• Kawasaki's disease facts
• What is Kawasaki's disease, and how is it diagnosed?
• What is mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome?
• What are the usual symptoms and signs of Kawasaki's disease?
• What are the less common findings?
• What is the difference between Kawasaki's disease and Kawasaki's syndrome?
• What causes Kawasaki's disease?
• Who develops Kawasaki's disease?
• How can Kawasaki's disease cause serious complications?
• What is the treatment for Kawasaki's disease?
• What is the prognosis for children with Kawasaki's disease?
• Can Kawasaki's disease be prevented?
• Patient Comments: Kawasaki Disease - Treatments
• Patient Comments: Kawasaki Disease - Symptoms
• Find a local Pediatrician in your town
• Kawasaki Disease Index

The usual symptoms and signs of Kawasaki's disease include

• fever,
• reddening of the eyes without pus,
• cracked and inflamed lips and mucous membranes of the mouth with an inflamed "strawberry" tongue,
• ulcerative gum disease (gingivitis),
• swollen lymph nodes in the neck (cervical lymphadenopathy),
• joint pain often on both sides of the body,
• irritability,
• cough and runny nose,
• and a rash that is raised and bright red, especially on the palms and soles.

The rash appears in a glove-and-sock fashion over the skin of the hands and feet. The rash becomes hard, swollen (edematous), and then peels off.

Most of the common symptoms described above will resolve without complications, even if untreated. Less common findings include inflammation of the lining of the heart (pericarditis), joints (arthritis), or covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), and the other heart complications listed below in the section on serious complications. The outlook (prognosis) for an individual affected is primarily determined by the seriousness of any heart complications.