How Is Kawasaki Disease Diagnosed?
Kawasaki disease is diagnosed based on the child’s signs and symptoms and the results from tests and procedures.
Specialists Involved
Pediatricians often are the first to suspect a child has Kawasaki disease. If the disease has affected the child’s coronary arteries, a pediatric cardiologist will confirm the diagnosis and give ongoing treatment. Other specialists also may be involved in treating children who have Kawasaki disease.
Signs and Symptoms
The provider will check the child for the classic signs and symptoms of Kawasaki disease.
The provider will rule out other diseases that cause similar symptoms. These diseases include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, scarlet fever, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Generally, the child will be diagnosed with Kawasaki disease if he or she has a fever that lasts longer than 5 days plus four other classic signs or symptoms of the disease.
However, not all children have classic signs and symptoms of Kawasaki disease. Tests and procedures can help confirm whether a child has the disease.
Tests and Procedures
Echocardiography
If the provider thinks that the child has Kawasaki disease, he or she will likely recommend echocardiography ,
Echocardiology also can help show the disease’s effects over time, if any, on the child’s coronary arteries. Often, the disease’s effects on the coronary arteries don’t show up until the second or third week after the first symptoms appear. Thus, this test is done regularly after the diagnosis.
Some children who have Kawasaki disease don’t have the classic signs and symptoms of the acute phase. Providers may not diagnose these children until 2 to 3 weeks after the onset of the disease. This is when another common sign of Kawasaki disease occurs—peeling of the skin on the fingers and toes.
If your child is diagnosed at this point, he or she will likely need echocardiology right away to see whether the disease has affected the coronary arteries.
Other Diagnostic Tests
Doctors also use other tests to help diagnose Kawasaki disease, such as:
- Blood tests. The results from blood tests can show whether the body’s blood vessels are inflamed.
- Chest x ray. A chest x ray can show whether Kawasaki disease has affected the heart.
- EKG (electrocardiogram). An EKG can show whether Kawasaki disease has affected the heart.
Source:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/kd/diagnosis
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