Kawasaki Disease

  • Etiology:
    — Medium vessel vasculitis causing strictures interposed by aneurysms
    — Involves coronary arteries and aorta and secondary branches and pulmonary artery
  • Imaging:
    — Initially see lymphadenopathy and gallbladder hydrops
    — Subsequently see coronary aneurysms in 1/3 of patients which may be small, medium, giant (>8 millimeters) in size and fusiform or saccular in appearance
    — Aneurysms can rupture or cause infarction and usually decrease in size but leave a residual irregularity behind (egg shell calcifications)
  • Imaging MRI: Vessel wall thickening and enhancement
  • DDX:
  • Complications: Coronary artery aneurysms, pericarditis, myocarditis, valvular disease
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical: From 6 months old to 4 years old

Radiology Cases of Kawasaki Disease

Radiology Cases of Coronary Artery Aneurysms in Kawasaki Disease

3D CT of coronary artery aneurysm in Kawasaki Disease
3D CT with contrast of the coronary arteries shows a giant fusiform aneurysm in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery.

Radiology Cases of Gallbladder Hydrops in Kawasaki Disease

US of gallbladder hydrops in Kawasaki's disease