Kawasaki's disease

~ Also called Kawasaki's syndrome,described as a " vasculitic syndrome"  - disease of the blood vessels

~ Disease of childhood.

~ First described by a Japanese doctor named Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967.

~ Common in infants aged from 6-12 months.

~ Also occur in children older than 5 years.

~ Most common in boys rather than girls.

~ Researchers suspect something infectious such as viruses or bacterias.

~ It trigger off immune reactivity and the child's own " altered " immune system than turn against his own body to his blood vessels.

~ Having a prolonged fever 39 degrees celsius and unresponsive to antibiotic.

~ Changes in the hands and feet such as swelling,redness or rash and peeling of skin ( desquamation )

~ Not wish to move the hands and feet much,find it difficult to walk. ( happens in 75 % of all cases,2 weeks after the fever's onset )

~ Conjuctivitis of both eyes ( 85% of cases )

~ A rash occurs throughout the body ( 80% of cases ) some occurs in the groin or legs .

~ Enlarged neck lymph nodes.

~ Changes in the lips like swelling,redness or dryness and fissuring.

~ Have a strawberry tongue-(red and the papillae stands clearly out )

~ Fever and rash phase last for 1-2 weeks during this time,heart muscle and the layer surrounding it may be inflamed.

~ After the fever comes another phase until week four,- no appetite,continue to have conjuctivitis,skin changes in the hand and feet are noted.

~ Internal blood vessels(especially the coronary arteries) develop aneurysms-weakening of the vessel walls leading to a bulge.This phase is at the highest risk of death.

~ After the second phase comes the recovery phase the aneurysms are still present the child may have to live with aneurysms for the rest of the life.

~ Aneurysms may come back to haunt him when they rupture during adulthood.

~ The treatment is actually to decrease the severity of the immune reaction.

~ 2% die due to heart attack or heart complications.