Kawasaki Disease in Adults

Kawasaki disease--an inflammation of middle-sized arteries--commonly affects infants and young children. However, it can affect adults as well.

History

• The first cases of Kawasaki disease were identified among Japanese toddlers in the 1960s. It is named after the Japanese pediatrician who described the disease, Tomisaku Kawasaki (born 1925).

Causes

• Unfortunately, the cause of Kawasaki disease is unknown. However, affected people can recover within a few days if symptoms are discovered early.

Symptoms

• So far, there is little or no symptom differentiation noted between children and adults with the disease. The symptoms usually occur in stages, first starting off with a fever with accompanying signs like eye redness, rashes, swollen tongue and sore throat; then skin peeling, joint or abdominal pain, and diarrhea and vomiting within the next two weeks.

Prevention/Treatment

• Although there is no known prevention for Kawasaki disease, it can be treated with prescriptions of aspirin and/or purified antibodies.

Significance

• Although Kawasaki disease can occur in any racial or ethnic group, it is more common among children of Japanese and Korean descent. Only 10 percent of cases occur in adults.