Kawasaki disease is very harmful to both men and women

Did you know that Kawasaki disease is very harmful to both men and women? In fact, this disease is very common. Kawasaki disease is a vasculitis syndrome, also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. It is common in children aged 2-4 years old, more common in boys. In recent years, the incidence rate has increased. The biggest harm of Kawasaki disease is damage to the coronary arteries. It is the main cause of coronary artery disease in children and a potential risk factor for coronary heart disease in adulthood.

In my country, the disease is more common in July-September. Therefore, parents should be especially vigilant about Kawasaki disease in infants and young children at the turn of summer and autumn. Children usually have prodromal symptoms such as upper respiratory tract infection before the onset of the disease. The high fever lasts for 1-2 weeks, the conjunctiva of both eyes is congested, the lips are cracked and bleeding, the oral mucosa is congested, the tongue surface is like bayberry, the rash with various forms appears all over the body, the hands and feet are hard and edematous and flushed, and the cervical lymph nodes are swollen. After the above symptoms subside, characteristic membrane-like peeling may appear at the end of the fingers and toes along the junction of the nails and the skin, and peeling may also be seen around the anus.

Some children with Kawasaki disease may suffer from multiple organ damages such as heart, brain, liver, lung, and kidney. Among them, cardiovascular damage is the most prominent, mostly occurring 2-3 weeks after onset and can last for months to years. Types of cardiovascular damage complicated by Kawasaki disease include coronary artery aneurysms, coronary artery dilatation, coronary artery stenosis or occlusion, etc. Aneurysms can be single or multiple, and most of them can disappear within 1-2 years, but local fibrosis of the vessel wall can promote intimal hyperplasia, resulting in ineffective expansion of the coronary artery. In severe cases, thrombosis, lumen stenosis and occlusion, and even myocardial infarction can be formed. It can also lead to severe symptoms of cardiac ischemia or develop into ischemic heart disease, which is the main cause of death from Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease is so harmful that parents should take their children to the hospital for treatment in time if they have symptoms such as fever accompanied by rash, mucosal damage and swollen lymph nodes.