What is Kawasaki disease - causes, symptoms, treatment

Causes, symptoms of Kawasaki disease, clinical recommendations

Kawasaki syndrome – pathological lesions of an inflammatory nature in arteries of various sizes. Kawasaki disease in adults is very rare, it is more often diagnosed in children under 5 years of age.

Causes of Kawasaki syndrome in children

Vessel walls consist of specific endothelial cells and for unknown reasons, the immune system of the child's body can start producing antibodies against them. The consequences of such an inadequate immune response will be:

• inflammation of the middle layer of arteries and subsequent death of its cells;
• destruction of membranes (internal and external), which provokes the formation of aneurysms (pathological expansion of vessel walls);
• formation of fibrous changes in vessel walls;
• maximum critical narrowing of the lumen of the arteries.

The real causes of Kawasaki syndrome in children are still not clear, doctors have two assumptions. The first is about the predisposition to pathology in representatives of the Asian race, in the second case it is about the imperfection of the immune system, the decrease in its functionality.

Symptoms

The disease always begins acutely:

• body temperature rises, often to critical levels;
• neck lymph nodes increase;
• severe abdominal pain, nausea and frequent vomiting after eating are noted.

The child categorically refuses to eat, constantly cries, sleep is disturbed. In the first month, the symptoms of Kawasaki disease are aggravated by skin manifestations - the rash affects the lower and upper extremities, the trunk. Blisters quickly form and ripen, then burst and heal, and in their place a red dense surface forms, which causes discomfort and pain.

Complement the clinical picture:

• redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes;
• pronounced dryness of the oral cavity and lips;
• crimson color of the tongue;
• conjunctivitis;
• swelling of the feet and thickening of the skin.

During the progression of the disease, the appearance of severe shortness of breath after light physical exertion, rapid fatigue and general weakness with increased drowsiness is noted.

General principles of disease treatment

Kawasaki disease is dangerous only if it was diagnosed late or there is no competent therapy. Treatment of Kawasaki syndrome in children is carried out with the following drugs:

• immunoglobulin - the main purpose, allows normalizing and stabilizing the work of the immune system;
• anticoagulants - are administered as prevention of the formation of blood clots;
• aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) – reduces the intensity of inflammation, thins the blood and prevents the formation of blood clots.

Clinical recommendations for Kawasaki disease:

• the patient should be kept calm, the room should be constantly ventilated;
• it is necessary to control the body temperature and, if it rises sharply, give appropriate drugs;
• nutrition should be low-calorie, but nutritious - heavy food in the form of fried, smoked, salted and pickled dishes is excluded.

Doctors give favorable forecasts for recovery, in 0.8% of cases the disease ends in death. The most common complications in the absence of adequate treatment are myocardial infarction, arterial thrombosis, severe heart failure.

You can learn more about Kawasaki disease, its course and specifics of therapy on the pages of our site Dobrobut.com.