How is Kawasaki Disease Diagnosed?
There is no particular test that detects Kawasaki disease. In most cases, a pediatrician will look into the child’s symptoms to rule out diseases with similar symptoms, including:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne illness
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease that causes joint pain and inflammation
- Measles
- Scarlet fever, a bacterial infection that causes fever, chills, and sore throat
- Idiopathic juvenile arthritis [5]
- Juvenile mercury poisoning
- Medical reaction
- Toxic shock syndrome [6]
A pediatrician might recommend other tests to know if the condition has affected the heart. These tests may include:
- Echocardiography: An echocardiograph is a painless procedure that uses sound waves to create pictures of the heart and its arteries. This test may need to be repeated to show how Kawasaki disease has affected the heart over time.
- Blood tests: Pediatricians may recommend blood tests to rule out other diseases. Studies show that Kawasaki disease is often characterized by increased levels of white blood cell count, low red blood cell count, and inflammation.
- Chest X-ray: A chest X-ray produces black and white images of the lungs and heart. A pediatrician may recommend this test to detect signs of inflammation and heart failure.
- Electrocardiogram: An electrocardiogram, or ECG, records the electrical activity of the heart. Irregularities in the ECG may indicate that the heart has been affected by KD.
- Urine test: This test is usually done to rule out the possibility of other diseases.
- Platelet count: Platelets are blood cells that help stop bleeding. Studies show that people with Kawasaki disease usually have high platelet count.
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) test: Your doctor will take a sample of red blood cells and put it into a test tube of liquid. If it takes a short time for the red blood cells to fall to the bottom of the tube, it may mean you have an inflammatory disease, like Kawasaki.
- C-reactive protein (CRP) test: C-reactive protein is synthesized in the liver. Elevated levels of this protein is a sign of inflammation.
- Sodium test: People with Kawasaki disease may experience low sodium levels.
- Albumin test: The disease is often characterized by low serum levels of albumin, a protein synthesized in the liver.
If a child has a fever that lasts for more than five days, there is a possibility that he or she has Kawasaki disease. In most cases, this is usually the case if they are exhibiting other classic symptoms of the condition such as peeling skin.
Although the exact cause of Kawasaki disease still remains unknown, studies show that it can occur as an abnormal response to a common virus that most people do not normally react to. Symptoms may share several similarities with those of an infection or a virus. However, there are no particular viral or bacterial factors responsible for the condition.
Recent studies have also shown that it may occur as a result of an autoimmune disorder, where the body’s immune system fights its healthy tissue.