Kawasaki disease: current aspects on aetiopathogenesis and therapeutic management

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis that affects mainly children of 6 months to 4 years old. It is important to be early recognised so as to limit the inflammatory cascade that may lead to aneurysmatic dilatations of coronary arteries. The causative agent of KD has not been still indentified and the aetiopathogenetic theories are based on epidemiologic, laboratory and histological data. The management of the disease is divided according to the clinical stage and patients' follow up should be continued for years after the disease onset. The exact period is determined by the risk level of the KD.