Acquired Heart Disease

Kawasaki Disease

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

The doctor will carefully examine your child, looking for signs of Kawasaki disease. Part of the diagnosis process involves ruling out other illnesses with similar symptoms, such as scarlet fever, strep infection, meningitis and measles. Although there is no specific test for Kawasaki disease, your child's doctor may run the following:

• Blood tests to check for a raised white cell count and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which indicates inflammation.

• Urine tests to check for unusual white blood cells.

• Chest X-ray to check the size of the heart and look for signs of heart failure.

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) to check for irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and evidence that the heart muscle has been strained.

• Echocardiogram to assess damage to the heart and large blood vessels.

Early detection and treatment greatly reduce the risk of future complications.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007