Eye involvement in Kawasaki disease

Abstract

Kawasaki disease or mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome is an acute febrile illness primarily affecting children. The principal signs and symptoms recognizable during the acute phase of the illness are described. Kawasaki disease is fatal in up to 3% of cases due to cardiac complications secondary to a systemic vasculitis. In a prospective series, ophthalmologic examinations on 10 children with Kawasaki disease showed that eight had anterior uveitis during the acute phase of the illness. All cases resolved within two to eight weeks. Because of these findings, 15 patients who had had Kawasaki disease with documented bilateral conjunctival injection, but who had never undergone slit-lamp examinations, were recalled for ophthalmologic evaluation. Results of these follow-up examinations were normal in all 15 children.